Empire of the Dark Ami
by amiwakawaiidesu
Summary: When Usagi is abducted and taken to a parallel universe, Ami must save her.
1. A Bluehaired Boy

Empire of the Dark Ami  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
------  
(Just for the record, I don't own any of the characters from   
"Sailor Moon", on which this story is based.   
  
As I set out, I expect this story to be around 15 chapters or so,   
although I guess we'll see if my estimate is off later. At any   
rate, please feel free to let me know what you like, or don't   
like, about the story).  
-------  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
  
"Pawn to Knight 3; check."  
  
"Um...King to Bishop 6."  
  
"Rook to Queen 3; checkmate."  
  
Usagi leaned back on her hands and sighed, looking at Ami across   
the chessboard between them. Although Usagi was Ami's guest for   
the evening--and Ami was as nice a person as there was in the   
world--Usagi still felt like Ami's personal punching bag whenever   
they played this game.  
  
"You know, Ami-chan, I am going to beat you one of these days."  
  
"I'm sure you will," Ami replied with a bright smile, laying down   
the pencil with which she'd been recording the game. "You lasted   
almost 25 moves this time. So would you like to play again?"  
  
"No, that's all right. I feel a little more stupid every time we   
play."  
  
Ami smiled slightly. Back when they were both in junior high   
school, Ami had taught Usagi how to play chess, but Ami had gone   
easy on her at first. However, Usagi realized what Ami was doing-  
-playing to a draw or playing to a stalemate--and finally she   
insisted that Ami play to win.   
  
That was not an easy thing for Ami to do; she loved Usagi very   
much and she felt bad about the quick checkmates she inflicted on   
Usagi after that. But Usagi was insistent that chess was good for   
her (making her more worthy of Mamoru), and little-by-little,   
Usagi had improved. Now that they were both seniors in high   
school, Usagi was actually sharp enough to beat most of the people   
they knew most of the time.  
  
She just wasn't good enough to beat Ami.  
  
"I think you're too hard on yourself, Usagi-chan. You're   
definitely getting better."  
  
"But we've been playing for five years now, and I still haven't   
beat you!"  
  
"Yes, but you can beat your dad and your brother...and you even   
beat Rei once."  
  
"That's true," Usagi said, with a goofy grin; "that was pretty   
sweet."  
  
"But we don't have to play again if you don't want to. It's   
almost dinnertime anyway."  
  
"Food is good."  
  
"I usually just make myself a sandwich when Mom is gone," Ami   
said, "but I was talking to Makoto and I think I might actually be   
able to cook us dinner..."  
  
"Perish the thought," Usagi said, pulling out a wad of 500-yen   
notes. "I think my mom knows you don't like to cook much, so she   
gave us some extra money for dinner."  
  
"Hey, I can cook...sort of. If it's in box..."  
  
"Well, no need for that. I say we go out and party!"  
  
Ami looked at Usagi dubiously.  
  
"Okay, well, we don't have to party, but we could still go out.   
What do you say? It's my treat."  
  
"All right," Ami said, "you win."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Since Ami's mother had suddenly found out she had to work at the   
hospital, Ami wasn't sure if Usagi's mother would still let her   
spend the night that Sunday like they'd planned; ostensibly, the   
reason for the visit was to give Usagi intensive tutoring before   
her first semester finals. But Tsukino Ikuko seemed to have the   
utmost respect for Ami--the gifted girl who was friends with her   
not-so-gifted daughter--and let her go anyway. For Ami, that   
trust was something very precious--even though she and Usagi   
happened to be goofing off at the moment, giggling together as   
they shared a couple of okonomiyaki at a sidewalk stand near the   
Shibuya River. Presently, the subject of their laughter was   
Usagi's old friend Umino, and his antics in science class on   
Friday.  
  
"I can't believe," Ami said, "Umino brought a whole bag of shrimp   
to the school like that!"  
  
"Well, he said he was going to grill them with his solar oven..."  
  
"But it's the middle of November!"  
  
"Yeah, well, that's Umino for you; I can't believe I was actually   
thinking of hooking you two up once..."  
  
Ami looked at Usagi with horror.  
  
"You're kidding!"  
  
"No, I thought you'd look kind of cute together. But he is kind   
of a dork..."  
  
Ami just shook her head.  
  
"Still, I bet you'd have really smart kids..."  
  
Ami suddenly blushed, turning a bright shade of red.  
  
"Oh no," Ami said; "they'd probably all look like Umino!"  
  
Usagi laughed hysterically.  
  
"You're funny, Ami-chan," Usagi said.  
  
"Maybe we should be getting home now," Ami said; "it is getting   
dark."  
  
"Okay. But just one game at the arcade first."  
  
"Usagi-chan--we're supposed to be studying!"  
  
"But we studied all afternoon. Come on, it won't kill you."  
  
And so Ami tagged along with Usagi as they headed back toward   
central Juubangai, and entered the Game Center Crown. On the plus   
side, it was warm in there, and Motoki brightened perceptibly when   
he spotted the girls. Motoki, of course, was more like the kind   
of man Ami visualized when she imagined falling in love--a   
handsome college student--but Motoki already had Reika. Thus,   
they were just good friends.  
  
"Out with the girls?" Motoki asked.  
  
"No, it's just us two," Usagi said; "Ami invited me to stay over   
tonight."  
  
"So Mamoru must be out of town."  
  
"Just make me feel like the second banana," Ami said.  
  
"Actually, Ami," Motoki said in a confidential whisper, "there is   
something interesting I wanted you to see. Come over here."  
  
Curious, Ami followed Motoki to the side of the F1 racing game-  
with Usagi right behind--then followed his lead and peaked around   
the corner of the game toward the Sailor V game.  
  
"There," Motoki said; "do you see that person playing the Sailor V   
game?"  
  
"You mean the little kid with the blue hair?"  
  
"Well, yeah--he looks just like you!"  
  
"Hey, yeah," Usagi said, also speaking in a whisper, "he does look   
just like Ami! Have you been fooling around behind our backs,   
Ami-chan...?"  
  
Again, Ami turned bright red, for the resemblance was uncanny; the   
boy looked no older than five or six, but he looked very much like   
Ami in his hair color and the shape of his face. Further, despite   
his childlike attire, the look on his face was very poised and   
purposeful--unusually so, for someone of his age--and when he   
looked back at Ami, Usagi and Motoki, they all ducked back behind   
the F1 game, realizing they'd been staring.  
  
"Well, he certainly isn't mine!" Ami said.  
  
"Could he be a cousin or something?" Motoki asked.  
  
"Or maybe a secret brother you never knew about?" Usagi asked.  
  
"I don't think so," Ami replied. When she peeked back around the   
edge of the F1 game, though, the boy was gone.  
  
"Let's just ask him who he is," Usagi suggested, and shortly they   
had all fanned out to search for the boy. He seemed to have   
vanished, however.  
  
"Weird," Usagi said to Ami. "Maybe he's like your future child,   
who came back to the past to meet you."  
  
"Like Chibi-Usa?" Ami asked, with a raised eyebrow.  
  
Usagi shrugged.  
  
"Motoki," Ami said, searching for a more logical answer, "have you   
seen that boy around here before?"  
  
"Well, yeah--I was meaning to tell you about it. I saw him here   
on Friday, right after Usagi came and left, and I think I saw him   
outside your school earlier in the week."  
  
Ami and Usagi looked at each other ominously.  
  
"This is seriously weird," Usagi said.  
  
"Well, maybe you should just play your game," Ami suggested, "then   
we can go."  
  
"Actually," Usagi said, pulling her coat closer to her, "I don't   
think I want to now. Maybe we should just go back to your place."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Inevitably, Ami and Usagi both found themselves looking out for   
the strange boy as they headed back toward Ami's apartment, but he   
remained elusive. In fact, Usagi began to suspect that the boy   
wasn't just weird but downright supernatural.  
  
"Maybe he's the ghost of your dead brother," Usagi said,   
mysteriously, as they entered Ami's apartment and took their shoes   
off.  
  
"I don't have a brother."  
  
"But maybe your mother had a baby that died as an infant, and now   
he's haunting you!"  
  
Ami rolled her eyes.  
  
"And maybe you've been watching too many episodes of the 'X-  
Files'," Ami replied. "Now why don't you go get comfortable in   
the living room, and I'll go get some textbooks so we can practice   
our English."  
  
Usagi appeared crestfallen. English was one of her worst   
subjects.  
  
"Oh, and maybe you should close the balcony door, too," Ami said,   
noting that the drapes in the living room were now fluttering in   
the breeze; "Mom must have left that open when she left."  
  
So saying, Ami then turned to gather her textbooks from her room.   
On the way back, though, she noticed a strange light coming from   
the area of the living room--and also inferred from the breeze she   
felt in the hallway that the balcony door was still open.  
  
What in the world is Usagi-chan doing...? Ami thought.  
  
But she was utterly stunned, however, when she reached the living   
room. For when she entered the living room, she saw Usagi--now   
apparently unconscious--floating in mid-air amidst a glowing   
golden radiance. Further, two strange figures were now standing   
behind Usagi just inside the sliding glass door, one the strange   
little blue-haired boy from the arcade, and the other--for want of   
a word--herself!  
  
But not quite herself, somehow; although the woman looked   
virtually identical to Ami in the shape of her face, her eyes and   
her hairstyle, her clothes were unlike anything Ami had ever seen.   
Broadly, her costume resembled that of a Sailor Senshi, but it was   
black all over and criss-crossed with cordlike bands that wrapped   
around her torso, her arms and her legs.  
  
"See, Mother," the little boy said, "she looks just like you."  
  
"So she does, Hoshi," the strange woman said, speaking in Ami's   
own voice as she laid a hand aside the boy's head. "She can't do   
anything to stop us now, though."  
  
"What is the meaning of this!" Ami said; "who are you?"  
  
"That is none of your concern," the woman replied; "I will be   
needing your friend, though, so I'm afraid your little study-  
session will have to be canceled."  
  
Ami scowled, reaching for her transformation stick; the strange   
woman seemed to know what the stick was for, though, for she   
raised her hand and cast a bolt of lightning toward Ami before she   
could even begin her transformation phrase. Dodging the lightning   
bolt and rolling back into the hallway, Ami counted herself lucky   
just to be alive.  
  
But she wasn't about to give up that easily; raising her   
transformation stick again--now under cover in the hallway--Ami   
invoked the power of transformation...  
  
"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!"  
  
...then waited a seeming eternity as a swirling flow of water   
transformed her into Sailormercury. In reality, the change was   
almost instantaneous, but it couldn't happen fast enough for   
Sailormercury, who was already preparing an attack as she headed   
back toward the living room.  
  
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody--!" Sailormercury exclaimed, releasing her   
most powerful attack just as she rounded the corner. However, the   
golden glow, Usagi, and both strange visitors were now gone, so   
Sailormercury's watery blast simply sailed through the balcony   
door--still open, with its curtains flapping in the breeze.   
  
"Shimatta..." Mercury muttered, rushing to the balcony to search   
for any sign of Usagi and the strangers outside. Since the   
balcony was nearly 40 meters off the ground, her immediate fear   
was that Usagi might have fallen to the sidewalk in front of the   
building, and she looked over the edge with a sickening sensation   
in her gut. Even with her VR visor, though, she couldn't find a   
trace of Usagi either on the ground or in the air.  
  
There was, however, something very peculiar hovering in the air   
just beyond the balcony. Invisible to the naked eye, the fabric   
of space-time was now closing rapidly around something that looked   
very much like a hole in the fabric of space-time itself.  
  
Incredible, Sailormercury thought; an opening to another   
dimension...?  
  
Her next immediate thought, as she watched the hole shrink, was   
that she ought to call Minako--acknowledged second-in-command of   
the Inner Senshi--and tell her what had happened. If she paused   
long enough to do that, though, the hole might disappear   
altogether, along with any chance of finding Usagi. If she wanted   
to follow Usagi, she would have to enter the hole now, while it   
still existed.  
  
But this is insanely dangerous, Sailormercury thought; if I   
try to jump out there, that's 12 stories off the ground! If I   
miss--or it isn't a portal--I'd be killed!  
  
And I don't even know where the portal leads to. It could lead   
right into deep space, or the heart of a star for all I know...  
  
On balance, though, she doubted that the portal led to anyplace   
terribly inhospitable--or at least any place so inhospitable it   
would kill the strange woman, the boy and Usagi. For the woman   
obviously hadn't gone through all the trouble of opening up an   
interdimensional portal just to kill Usagi. If she wanted to kill   
Usagi, she could just as well have done that right there in Ami's   
apartment.  
  
But it was still all so weird--first meeting this strange boy,   
then meeting a woman who looked exactly like her, then seeing   
Usagi grabbed from right underneath her nose in her very own   
apartment! If she weren't as level-headed as she liked to think   
she was, Sailormercury would have almost been inclined to think   
she was hallucinating--or that the whole thing was just a gag   
cooked up by Usagi and the other Senshi.  
  
But none of the Inner Senshi knew how to rip open the fabric of   
space-time--not even Sailormercury herself; this was real, and   
Sailormercury was the only Senshi with even so much as a chance to   
do something in time to save Usagi. It was just scary, realizing   
that her only chance to save Usagi might be a leap into mid-air 35   
meters above the ground.  
  
"Oh, enough thinking already," Sailormercury muttered, dashing   
back into the hallway and finding a coil of nylon cord in a broom   
closet. She then tied one end around her waist, tied the other   
end around a sturdy drain pipe and climbed up onto the ledge of   
the balcony--as close to the closing portal as possible.  
  
"I've got to do this..." Sailormercury said to herself, even as   
her knees trembled and the breeze whipped at her hair, "but I   
still ought to tell SOMEBODY what I'm doing first..."  
  
* * * * *   
  
The somebody Sailormercury decided to tell was Luna, who happened   
to be at Usagi's house at the moment, happily chatting with   
Artemis via an Instant Messenger service on Usagi's new computer.   
When a priority message from Sailormercury popped up, though, she   
turned to that instead. Unlike with the Instant Messenger, the   
message from Sailormercury's communicator included video, and Luna   
was startled to see wind blowing the Senshi's hair around-  
wherever she was.  
  
"Luna, listen," Sailormercury said, "I don't have time to talk,   
but I want you to keep an eye out for Usagi."  
  
"What?" Luna asked; "why?"  
  
"I don't have time to explain; I'm about to leap off my apartment   
balcony."  
  
"Sailormercury, no! School can't be that bad--!"  
  
Sailormercury smiled slightly.  
  
"It's not like that; I just don't have time to explain. Sayonara,   
Luna..."  
  
Then the line fell dead.  
  
"Mercury!" Luna cried, suddenly throwing her paws up against the   
computer screen. "What the hell? Mercury--!"  
  
But Sailormercury was gone, and 'sayonara' clearly meant she   
didn't expect to be coming back any time soon... 


	2. Through the Portal

Empire of the Dark Ami  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon",   
neither created nor owned by myself.)  
-------  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
  
"Queen to Rook 5."  
  
"Bishop to Rook 3."  
  
"Queen takes Bishop. I'm afraid that's checkmate,   
Hoshi."  
  
Mizuno Hoshi sighed, looking up at his blue-haired   
mother. An intimidating figure in her black fuku,   
criss-crossed with band-like cords, Kuroiami-sama--the   
Black Ami--was feared in every corner of the world, yet   
there was no mistaking the motherly affection in her   
eyes at the moment.  
  
"I suppose my play was clumsy," Hoshi admitted.  
  
"I wouldn't necessarily say that," his mother replied;   
"you played well to a point. You might even have won,   
if you hadn't trapped your own king."  
  
Kuroiami then paused, noting the opening of the  
double-doors in the far end of the Game Room, and the   
entry of three black-suited Senshi.  
  
"Still," she continued, "this was a useful lesson.   
Even if you start strong, it's meaningless unless you   
finish off your opponent."  
  
"Yes, Mother."  
  
"And speaking of finishing off an opponent, General   
Venus," Kuroiami said to the leader of the approaching   
women, "I see you still haven't killed the Outer   
Senshi."  
  
"There were complications, Master..."  
  
"Spare your excuses. Hoshi's plans are more thorough   
than yours, and he's a quarter of your age."  
  
Sailorvenus fumed.  
  
"Happily, though, there is a way for you to redeem   
yourself. A dimensional portal will be opening in   
Minato-ku shortly, and a blue-haired girl will be   
entering from the world Hoshi and I just left. You are   
to seize the girl, and kill the Outer Senshi."  
  
"The Outer Senshi will be there...?" asked Sailormars.  
  
"How do you know that?" added Sailorjupiter.  
  
"Because I play a complete game, General Jupiter,"   
Kuroiami replied, "unlike General Venus. Now go,   
before you try my patience."  
  
"Yoshi!" the three Senshi said together, bowing and   
then departing.  
  
"I hope you'll pardon my curiosity," Hoshi said to his   
mother, "but why DID we take that girl from the other   
world? I gather you wanted her ginzuishou, but why   
didn't you just take the crystal and leave the girl   
behind? And why did you need a second ginzuishou in   
the first place? You already have a perfectly good   
one."  
  
Kuroiami just smiled for a moment, admiring her son's   
precocious intellect.  
  
"Well, I'd like to tell you, Hoshi, but I can't make it   
that simple. You'll have to win a game first, before   
I'll tell."  
  
"Like that's going to happen."  
  
"Consider it motivation."  
  
"Very well," Hoshi said, turning the chessboard around   
on its turntable. Hoshi and Kuroiami then set the   
pieces up for a second game, with Hoshi black and his   
mother white.  
  
"Pawn to King 4," Kuroiami said.  
  
"Pawn to King 4."  
  
"Knight to King's Bishop 3."  
  
Hoshi lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"Ruy Lopez," he noted.  
  
"Yes," Kuroiami said. "I do so love the classics..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"World Shaking!"  
  
"Chikushou!" Sailormercury cried, barely dodging the   
golden missile before it would have plowed right into   
her. Even as she dodged the attack, though,   
Sailorneptune was launching her own attack...  
  
"Deep Submerge!"  
  
...and this one didn't miss; the watery blast caught   
Sailormercury squarely and knocked her off her feet.  
  
For Sailormercury, this had been one long day.  
  
It had all begun innocently enough. Ami had invited   
Usagi over to study at her place, and--after going out   
for a bite to eat--Ami was looking forward to a quiet   
evening with her best friend. But then a blue-haired   
woman and her blue-haired son--both of whom bore a   
striking resemblance to Ami--forced their way into   
Ami's apartment and abducted Usagi, fleeing through a   
hyperdimensional portal.  
  
But the portal didn't close fast enough to keep   
Sailormercury from following after them. Pausing only   
long enough to tie a safety rope around her waist--and   
leave her minicomputer behind for Luna, with data on   
the portal--Sailormercury leapt from the ledge of her   
12th floor balcony...and was promptly attacked by   
Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune.  
  
In the moment before the attack, Sailormercury had   
caught a glimpse of her new surroundings--crumbling   
buildings, crumpled cars and twisted Japanese street   
signs, all standing stark and lifeless in the mid-  
afternoon sunlight; since it was dark when Ami entered   
the portal, though, the sunlight dazzled her for a   
moment, and thus she was caught off-guard when the   
Outer Senshi assailed her.   
  
"You bitch!" Sailoruranus said, grabbing Sailormercury   
by the throat and smacking her head against the   
concrete; "I'll kill you--!"  
  
"Nani ga--?" Sailormercury gasped, in a rasping squeak.  
  
"How dare you speak to me, Kuroiami!"  
  
Sailoruranus then pulled Sailormercury back to her feet   
and punched her in the jaw, sending her flying backward   
into the grill of an old police car. Hitting the   
grill--now stunned and bleeding from her lip--  
Sailormercury crumpled like a sack full of wet rice.  
  
"Now you die," Sailoruranus said; "World--!"  
  
"Wait a minute," Sailorneptune said, coming up next to   
Sailoruranus; "I'm not sure that's actually Kuroiami."  
  
"What do you mean?" Sailoruranus asked, holding her   
attack.  
  
"Well, if she WERE Kuroiami, you'd be dead already.   
This is just a girl who looks like Kuroiami."  
  
"How can you be certain?"  
  
Sailorneptune gave her partner a patient look.  
  
"Because I trust my intuition," Sailorneptune said,   
walking past Sailoruranus and kneeling down next to   
Sailormercury. "For God's sake, Uranus, she's only a   
child!"  
  
"But...this could be a trick!" Sailoruranus said,   
clearly still hopped-up with anger and looking to kill   
somebody.  
  
"Please..." Sailormercury gasped, "...I'm looking for   
Usagi..."  
  
"Usagi?" Sailoruranus asked. "What do you know of the   
princess?"  
  
Before Sailormercury could answer, though, she felt her   
consciousness slipping away, and a strange world she   
barely knew was slipping out of sight...  
  
* * * * *   
  
When she came back to consciousness, some time later,   
Sailormercury had a sense she was being carried on   
someone's shoulder. Vaguely, though, she also had a   
sense of a battle going on nearby; black-suited Sailor   
Senshi were dashing about--one with blonde hair, and   
two others with black and brown hair--trying to corner   
Sailoruranus. But then she heard a familiar voice...  
  
"Dead Scream!"  
  
...and a mighty blast, followed by silence.  
  
"Wha's happening...?" Sailormercury asked, groggily.  
  
"Hush now," Sailorneptune said; "I have to get you out   
of here."  
  
"Oh...all right," Sailormercury replied, falling back   
to the comforting numbness of sleep...  
  
* * * * *   
  
So brief was the interlude, Ami wasn't sure if she'd   
just been dreaming when she awoke the next morning.   
Sailorpluto seemed real enough, though, sitting at the   
foot of her bed with the Staff of Time across her legs.  
  
"So you're awake," Sailorpluto said.  
  
To Ami's surprise, Sailorpluto sounded distinctly   
gruff, and that just compounded the pain she was   
already feeling in her head. Pushing herself upright,   
Ami felt an immediate wave of nausea and fought an urge   
to throw up, but Sailorpluto simply looked on   
dispassionately. Following on the heels of her   
treatment by Sailoruranus, Ami immediately understood   
the situation: she was a prisoner, and Sailorpluto was   
her guard.   
  
But what a prison! Paint was peeling from the walls,   
pieces of broken furniture were piled in the corners of   
the room, and the only window was shattered and heavy   
with cobwebs. Indeed, the battered look of the room   
mirrored the feeling of Ami's head, although she did   
have a sense that her injuries weren't catastrophic.   
Feeling her jaw with her hand, she could tell it   
probably wasn't broken, and she was likewise gratified   
to note that the back of her skull--where Sailoruranus   
had smacked it on the pavement--felt intact, not soft   
or crunchy.  
  
Must be that Senshi constitution, Ami thought, with   
a wry grimace.  
  
"Listen," Ami said, "I don't mean to be a bother, but   
is there a bathroom nearby?"  
  
Sailorpluto grunted, rising from her chair. That was   
the extent of her helpfulness, though, for she neither   
helped Ami to her feet, nor warned Ami of the bits of   
broken glass and other debris on the floor. Thus, Ami   
found her feet being jabbed through her socks as she   
followed Sailorpluto out of the bedroom and into the   
adjacent hallway.  
  
"This way," Sailorpluto said, moving around behind Ami,   
then prodding her forward with her staff. It was a   
strange experience indeed--being treated so roughly by   
a Senshi she had the utmost respect for--but Ami tried   
to remember that the Senshi here probably had no idea   
who she really was or where she'd come from; indeed--  
considering the way Sailoruranus seemed hell-bent on   
killing her when they first met--Sailorpluto was   
showing considerable restraint by comparison.  
  
Nonetheless, Ami was a bit embarrassed when Sailorpluto   
forced her to keep the bathroom door open once they got   
there. Not surprisingly--given the glimpses of   
wreckage Ami saw through the windows of the house as   
they walked along--none of the plumbing in the bathroom   
actually worked, but someone had nevertheless   
improvised a crude sanitary station with military   
survival gear and a 10-liter jug of purified water.   
Upon seeing the latter, Ami suddenly realized she was   
desperately thirsty, but Sailorpluto allotted her only   
a few drops to drink, and a little more to wash her   
face with.  
  
I must not be resentful, Ami reminded herself--  
although she was horrified when she finally got a look   
at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her face was   
bruised and laced with cuts, her blue hair was tangled   
and clumpy, and her sweatshirt and pants--what she'd   
been wearing back at her apartment--were crumpled and   
dirty. Recalling how happy she'd been when she first   
got dressed on Sunday morning--looking forward to a   
whole day together with Usagi--it made her heart sink   
with sadness.  
  
Now, of course, she not only had no idea where Usagi   
was, but she had no possessions beyond the clothes on   
her back; her transformation stick and communicator   
were both gone, and even her coin purse wasn't in her   
pocket where she'd last left it, neatly clipped to a   
belt hoop to keep anyone from stealing it. Clearly,   
the Outer Senshi didn't trust her at all.   
  
"That's long enough in there," Sailorpluto said,   
pulling Ami out of the restroom. "Let's go."  
  
Again, Ami let herself be pushed forward, but instead   
of returning to the bedroom, Sailorpluto steered her   
toward a kitchen where they found Sailorneptune.   
Seeing her, Ami's hopes soared; Sailorneptune, after   
all, had at least been willing to entertain the notion   
that Ami wasn't their enemy.  
  
"Oh my God, you look terrible...!" Sailorneptune said,   
starting to move toward Ami with a medical kit.   
Sailorpluto, however, blocked her with her staff.  
  
"Don't touch her," Sailorpluto said, pushing Ami into a   
chair in a corner of the kitchen.  
  
"She could be badly hurt," Sailorneptune said.  
  
"She'll live."  
  
"well, at least let me look at those lacerations..."  
  
"I think you're forgetting our agreement," Sailorpluto   
said. "It's bad enough we let you talk us into not   
restraining her."  
  
"You're just as bad as Uranus," Sailorneptune said.   
"That girl is no more Kuroiami than you are."  
  
"We'll see. Now how's that tea coming?"  
  
"The water's ready," Sailorneptune said bitterly,   
lifting a kettle from a small camp stove. She and   
Sailorpluto then sat down at a small round table--  
several meters away from Ami--where Sailorneptune   
poured water into a pair of teacups.   
  
Well, at least Neptune believes in me, Ami thought.  
  
Ami, for her part, was not given any of the green tea   
the Outer Senshi were sharing, but she could distinctly   
smell its aroma. Since Ami was already swaying dizzily   
in her chair, though, that wasn't necessarily a good   
thing; Sailorpluto and Sailorneptune were clearly   
waiting for something--most likely the return of   
Sailoruranus--and Ami didn't want to pass out   
before she got there.  
  
Maybe I should try to escape... Ami thought. But   
where would I go? I don't know anything about this   
world, and I probably wouldn't get ten meters before   
they caught me anyway.  
  
But I don't know if I can take another beating...  
  
Several silent minutes passed, with the Outer Senshi   
quietly sipping their tea and Ami trying to stay   
upright in her chair. Finally, she risked saying   
something--both to keep her mind focused, and to gauge   
the reaction of her fellow Senshi.  
  
"So I see you have fuel for a camp stove..." Ami said;   
"that must be difficult to come by."   
  
"Well, a wood fire would be better," Sailorneptune   
said, "but the heishi would see the smoke."  
  
"Neptune!" Sailorpluto said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"She doesn't have to know about our supplies."  
  
"Honestly, Pluto--it's hardly a secret that gasoline is   
hard to come by."  
  
While they argued, Ami reflected on Michiru's use of   
the word "heishi"; the word "heishi" meant a   
professional soldier--such as a member of the SDF--and   
carried a different connotation than the word "senshi",   
or "warrior". Was it possible that the Outer Senshi   
were fighting the Self-Defense Force as well as another   
group of Senshi?  
  
If so, it was a frightening prospect. Luna had told   
Ami once that the Sailor fuku were bulletproof--hence   
the preference for magic among their many foes;   
however, even the magical Sailor fuku couldn't shield a   
Senshi from the bruising force of bullet impacts, or   
bullets that hit exposed flesh.  
  
My God, Ami thought; what kind of crazy world is   
this...?  
  
* * * * *  
  
Eventually, Sailorpluto and Sailorneptune fell silent   
again, returning to the sipping of their tea. Ami's   
sense of being the condemned awaiting execution grew   
with every passing second, though, and it finally came   
to a climax when she heard the front door of the house   
open. Suddenly, Sailoruranus was there in the doorway   
of the kitchen, and Ami cringed despite herself.  
  
So this is it, Ami thought; I'm going to die.   
  
To Ami's surprise, though, Sailoruranus actually   
flashed her a quick smile as she walked across the   
kitchen to stand by her comrades.  
  
"So what did you learn?" Sailorpluto asked   
Sailoruranus.  
  
"I don't think she's Kuroiami," Sailoruranus said,   
dropping Ami's transformation pen, communicator and   
coin purse on the kitchen table. "Luna says this   
equipment came from another world, where Kuroiami   
doesn't exist."  
  
Relieved, Ami slumped in her chair.  
  
"Honestly," Sailorneptune said, grabbing her medical   
kit again and rushing to Ami's side, "it took you long   
enough to find out."  
  
"Well, excuse me," Sailoruranus replied, "but I   
couldn't exactly move around freely with the heishi   
patrolling the city."  
  
"Well, at least we know," Sailorneptune said, applying   
antiseptic to Ami's wounds. Although the antiseptic   
stung, Ami's sheer relief barely let her feel it.  
  
"Indeed," Sailoruranus said to Ami, dropping into   
a bow. "Mizuno-san, I owe you an apology. I behaved   
with a lack of proper restraint."  
  
"That's okay..." Ami said, wincing as Sailorneptune   
treated her injuries; "I'm sure you wouldn't have   
pummeled me without a good reason."  
  
"I knew this was a good kid!" Sailoruranus said,   
standing back upright and rubbing Ami's tousled hair.  
  
"I'm sure you did, Dear," Sailorneptune said. "Now why   
don't you get Mizuno-san some water."  
  
"Right," Sailoruranus said, turning away for a moment.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking," Ami asked Sailorneptune,   
"how do you know my name is 'Mizuno'?"  
  
"Well, that's who we thought you were," Sailorneptune   
replied; "'Mizuno Ami'" is Kuroiami's real name too.   
Plus your name is on your student ID."  
  
"Sorry about looking through your things," Sailoruranus   
said, returning to Ami with a cupful of water. "But we   
had to make certain who you really were."  
  
Concentrating on the water, Ami didn't respond until   
after she'd drank it all--careful though she was not to   
gulp it down all at once.  
  
"Arigatou," Ami said with a gasp, returning the cup.   
"So I guess this Kuroiami person must be a pretty bad,   
for you to hate her so much."  
  
Sailoruranus exchanged a meaningful glance with   
Sailorneptune.  
  
"It's a long story," Sailorneptune said. "But we'll   
tell you what we know once you've had a chance to rest   
some more."  
  
"Arigatou..." Ami replied; "arigatou gozaimasu."  
  
Suddenly, though, a brilliant radiance shone from   
Sailorpluto's staff, and all eyes turned to see the   
garnet orb blazing red.  
  
"What is it?" Ami asked the Outer Senshi.  
  
"I think that rest is going to have to wait,"   
Sailorpluto said, leaping to her feet; "we've got   
company."   
  
* * * * *   
  
On a nearby hill, meanwhile, a black-suited Senshi with   
long golden hair was smiling with satisfaction.   
Through her binoculars, Sailorvenus could see that her   
SDF troops were already in position surrounding a   
small, battered-looking house in the outskirts of   
Minato-ku.  
  
"The men are in position, General Venus," an SDF   
colonel said to Sailorvenus.  
  
"Very good, Colonel. Return to your men and await my   
orders."  
  
"Hai!" the colonel said, saluting and departing.   
Sailormars and Sailorjupiter then stepped forward, both   
wearing exasperated expressions.  
  
"How do we know this isn't a trick?" Sailorjupiter   
asked. "These Outer Senshi have slipped away before."  
  
"Indeed," Sailormars said. "Just yesterday afternoon,   
as I recall."  
  
Sailorvenus shook her head at Sailormars' pathetic jab   
at her leadership.  
  
"As I recall, General Mars, it was YOU who let them get   
away, letting Pluto attack us on the flank you were   
supposed to be guarding."  
  
"Whatever," Sailormars sighed.  
  
"Just remember," Sailorvenus said, "our Master wants   
the blue-haired girl alive."  
  
"So after we have the blue-haired girl...?"   
Sailorjupiter asked.  
  
"Then we can kill the others. Now take your   
positions."  
  
"Yoshi!" Sailormars and Sailorjupiter both said,   
nodding together and leaping away. Sailorvenus stayed   
behind a moment longer, however, to look once more at   
the house through her binoculars.  
  
"Yes, Uranus," Sailorvenus said to herself, "I have you   
now. Today you die." 


	3. The Cat's Lair

Empire of the Dark Ami  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
-------  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.   
  
I would like to offer my thanks, by the way, to all those individuals kind enough to offer commentary on the story so far. In answer to a specific question by Crystal Millenium, Sailoruranus attacked Sailormercury because she assumed that Kuroiami had the power to disguise her appearance, and didn't know that Kuroiami had discovered a portal to another world with another Sailormercury; also, the black uniforms of Kuroiami and her Sailor Senshi represent the common evil infecting all of them--in addition to being a way to (hopefully) keep them distinct from the Outer Senshi in the reader's imagination.)  
-------  
CHAPTER THREE  
  
  
Hoshi was dreaming.  
  
Indeed, Hoshi knew he was dreaming because the woman he saw in his dream was not his mother, but an altogether different person. Clad in a gown of cerulean blue, she held him close to her with one arm while she propped up a book with the other arm and read to him.  
  
"...and that's how Sailormoon defeated Queen Metallia and destroyed the Dark Kingdom."  
  
"But what about Sailormercury? Wasn't Sailormercury there?"  
  
"No, Sailormercury was...killed...before that. But she came back to life later because Sailormoon loved her--just like she loved all the Senshi."  
  
"Can love do that?"  
  
"Love can do that," the woman said, holding Hoshi close to her. When Hoshi tried to look at her face, though, her features were vague and indistinct.  
  
Then, suddenly, Hoshi was awake, with Nishimura Reika--his nursemaid and teacher--looking down at him.  
  
"You looked like you were dreaming," the brown-haired woman said. "Pleasant dreams, I hope."  
  
"I was dreaming about my mother," Hoshi said.  
  
"Kuroiami-sama? She'll be pleased to hear that."  
  
"That's the funny thing; I don't think it was Kuroiami."  
  
"But Kuroiami is your mother."  
  
"So she is," Hoshi said, rolling out of bed and accepting his robe and toothbrush from Nishimura. In light of his dream, the irony wasn't lost on Hoshi that Reika was much more of a mother to him--in some ways--than his real mother was.  
  
Such a pity, Hoshi thought, how Kuroiami has tortured Reika...  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ah, Sailorvenus thought; vengeance!  
  
Indeed it was sweet, watching troops of the 1st Infantry Division storm the house of the Outer Senshi from two directions, peppering the structure with tear gas and stun grenades before making their entrance. There was less shooting than Sailorvenus expected, however, for reasons that soon became obvious.  
  
"They've escaped," Sailormars said, running up to Sailorvenus.  
  
"Shimatta!" Sailorvenus stormed, smashing her binoculars into the ground. "How?"  
  
"They escaped through a tunnel," Sailorjupiter said, approaching from another direction. "Our men found the exit 50 meters south of here."  
  
"Damn it!" Sailorvenus said, striding to her map table. "They've got to be headed south, toward the Shuto Expressway."  
  
"Not necessarily," Sailormars offered. "They might have circled around to the north."  
  
"Toward Roppongi," Sailorjupiter said.  
  
"Well," Sailorvenus said, "wherever they are, they couldn't have gone far. Alert all commands to deploy and search."  
  
* * * * *   
  
In the event, the Outer Senshi were headed neither south nor north, but rather east toward Tokyo Bay. Together with Sailormercury--who was still reeling from her recent injuries--they were moving cautiously among the high rise buildings of eastern Minato-Ku, working their way toward a safe house not known to the Black Senshi.  
  
"Wait a minute," Sailoruranus said, holding up a hand to halt the party and scooping up a helmet from the rubble. "You might need this, Mercury."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"Snipers," Sailorneptune said. "They're all over the city."  
  
Still woozy, Sailormercury reeled at the comment.  
  
"But you don't wear helmets."  
  
"Unfortunately," Sailoruranus said, "metal helmets interfere with our powers. I don't want YOU to get hurt, though, if I can help it."  
  
Sailormercury put on the helmet.  
  
"That a girl. Let's move out, people."  
  
Sailormercury resisted the urge to salute; in her helmet, she had the sense she was playing soldier in some kind of weird, surreal dream. The reality of the situation became apparent, however, several minutes later; leaving the cover of the buildings, the Senshi entered an open field, then they heard a shot--  
  
KRACK!  
  
--and Sailorpluto fell in a heap next to Sailormercury.  
  
"PLUTO!" Sailormercury screamed.  
  
"Forget about her!" Sailoruranus yelled, already diving behind a block of concrete with Sailorneptune; "get cover!"  
  
As if to emphasize the point, a second shot hit the concrete block, kicking up a spray of dust. Sailormercury wasn't about to leave Sailorpluto sprawled out in the open, however; instead, she grabbed the limp Senshi by the arms and dragged her to a nearby ditch.  
  
Recognizing that Sailorpluto was probably already dead, Sailormercury knew this was likely a fruitless gesture; nonetheless, when she checked Sailorpluto for a pulse, it was faint but steady. Evidently, Sailorpluto's only injury was a grazing wound across her forehead--the mark of a near miss.  
  
"How is she?" Sailoruranus called to Sailormercury.  
  
"She's alive! Just a flesh wound!"  
  
"Lucky baka," Sailorneptune muttered.  
  
Her staff must have deflected the shot, Sailormercury thought, noting the spot where the Staff of Time was still lying in the open. We'll have to get that sniper, though, before reinforcements get here...  
  
Then, suddenly, an inspiration struck her.  
  
"Uranus!" Sailormercury called out, "do you think you could hit that sniper if you knew where he was?"  
  
"Well, sure--but how could we tell that?"  
  
"I've got an idea," Sailormercury said, taking off her helmet and activating her VR visor. "But I'll need the sniper to take another shot!"  
  
"What does she want us to do?" Sailorneptune asked Sailoruranus; "stick our heads out there?"  
  
"Don't worry," Sailoruranus said; "I think I know what she's up to…"  
  
Sailoruranus then reached quickly for the Staff of Time--which predictably prompted a snap shot from the sniper: a near miss.  
  
On Sailormercury's visor, though, the ballistic track of the bullet was clearly displayed, along with the bearing and distance to the shooter.  
  
"I've got it!" Sailormercury called out. "Azimuth zero-four-zero! Range 400 meters!"  
  
"Yoshi!" Sailoruranus replied, making a fist. "Ready, Neptune?"  
  
Sailorneptune nodded.  
  
The two Senshi then rolled out from their cover in opposite directions--clearly confusing the distant sniper--and came to their feet preparing their attacks.  
  
"WORLD SHAKING--!"  
  
"DEEP SUBMERGE--!"  
  
The twin attacks then sailed into the sky in tandem, and came down hard on a distant apartment building--the sniper's nest. Already battered, the building promptly collapsed.  
  
"Nice shot," Sailormercury said afterward, as Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune raced to look at Sailorpluto.  
  
"Thanks to you," Sailoruranus said; "I forgot you had that visor."  
  
"Kind of glad you didn't kill her, aren't you?" Sailorneptune kidded her.  
  
"Yes, I was wrong about Mercury," Sailoruranus said, examining Sailorpluto's pulse just as Sailormercury had done. "But at least Pluto's okay."  
  
Indeed, Sailorpluto began to come around just a few seconds later.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"A close call," Sailorneptune said, "but you'll live."  
  
"Well, thank goodness for that," Sailormercury said, finally rising to her feet. "Now I guess we should be going..."  
  
Even as she stood, however, Sailormercury felt her stomach quiver and her knees go weak. Ironically, it wasn't until the battle was over that she realized how scared she was.  
  
Well, I guess I wouldn't make a very good heishi*… Sailormercury thought, even as her eyes rolled back in her head, and she keeled over in a dead faint.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Ami woke up later, a single lantern and the glow of computer screens suggested a new location--possibly a hospital; perhaps it was even her mother's hospital--or the parallel structure in this universe. As her eyes adapted to the dark, she saw the Outer Senshi standing nearby in military fatigues (with Setsuna sporting a bandage on her head), as well as a small black cat sitting at the foot of her bed...  
  
"Luna?"  
  
"Do you know me?" the cat asked.  
  
"Of course I know you!" Ami said; "but you're probably not so happy to see me..."  
  
"Nonsense; I know you're not Kuroiami."  
  
"Of course she's not Kuroiami," Haruka said, rushing forward to kneel at Ami's bedside; "she saved us all."  
  
"Thank you, Mizuno-san," Setsuna said, bowing to Ami. "For saving my life."  
  
"I thought the bullet just grazed your forehead."  
  
"The first shot grazed her forehead," Michiru said, "but a second shot wouldn't have missed."  
  
"Indeed," Setsuna agreed. "I've been rather short with you, Mizuno-san, and I'd like to apologize. It's obvious that you're not our enemy."  
  
"That's all right, Meiou-san," Ami said. "I've always admired you...in my world, I mean."  
  
Setsuna blushed slightly.  
  
"I was wondering, though," Ami said to Luna, "is this a hospital?"  
  
"Hardly," Luna said; "this is the new support base we set up after Kuroiami destroyed the original base underneath the Game Center Crown. We're actually in a basement of the science building at K.O. University."  
  
"Ah..."  
  
"But I still have SOME tools at my disposal," Luna said, leaping from Ami's bed to one of her computers. "My scanners told me you have a concussion, for example--as Michiru suspected--but it doesn't look serious..."  
  
Luna then clicked on her mouse to pull up a new display--two strands of DNA projected side-by-side.  
  
"What really amazes me, though, is how identical your DNA is to Kuroiami's; it's like you're twin sisters, even though you don't have the taint of her evil."   
  
"Where did you get a sample of Kuroiami's DNA?" Haruka asked.  
  
"Reika smuggled it out of Mugen Palace," Luna replied. "It came from a strand of Kuroiami's hair."  
  
"Reika?" Ami asked. "Motoki's girlfriend?"  
  
The Outer Senshi and Luna exchanged meaningful glances.  
  
"I don't believe those two have been together for a long time," Luna said. "I seem to recall they split up in 1995."  
  
"What year is it now?" Ami asked.  
  
"2000."  
  
Ami noted that tidbit for later reference; in the world she came from, it was still 1997.  
  
"It's hard to imagine they'd ever break up," Ami said; "at least in my world."  
  
"Well, Kuroiami's to blame," Setsuna said; "after that affair she had with Motoki."  
  
"She wasn't too proud to make Reika into Hoshi's nursemaid, though," Michiru offered.  
  
"Just pouring salt on a wound," Haruka said, "since Motoki is Hoshi's father."  
  
Suddenly, Ami felt a tightness in her chest--as if something were squeezing her heart.  
  
"Now, now," Luna corrected Haruka, "we're not absolutely sure of that."  
  
"Well, if you want to be technical," Haruka said, "there's a half-dozen guys who could be Hoshi's father--Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, Malachite...maybe even Mamoru..."  
  
Ami groaned.  
  
"Ami...?" Michiru said, suddenly noting Ami's distress.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ami said, "but I think I'm gonna be sick..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Watching Ami lean across the side of her bed and retch, the Outer Senshi could only look on helplessly until Luna hustled them out of the room.  
  
"Maybe we should be careful what we say around Mizuno-san," Luna said to the humans; "unlike Kuroiami, Mizuno-san seems to be rather sensitive, and easily hurt."  
  
"It's my fault," Haruka said; "I shouldn't have mentioned Motoki being Hoshi's father."  
  
"It's nobody's fault," Luna said. "I just think it might be better if you let me explain things to Mizuno-san. This world is bound to be confusing to her, and it's only going to make things worse if she's getting information from four different sources."  
  
The Outer Senshi nodded.  
  
"All right, then," Luna said; "you go back to your work, and I'll look after Ami."  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Ami saw Luna reenter her room, she felt embarrassed at her sickness.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ami said; "I don't know why I felt so sick all of a sudden..."  
  
"You don't have to apologize for how you feel," Luna said, hopping up on Ami's bed; "I'd feel sick too, if I felt any connection to Kuroiami."  
  
"Am I really evil inside, like her?"  
  
"Well, I don't know what's in your heart," Luna said, "but I doubt it. Kuroiami was like you once, in the days of the Moon Kingdom--kind and thoughtful. When Princess Serenity died, though--and her princesses died with her-something evil got a hold of Princess Mercury and perverted her soul. She was already evil when I first met her, in fact, but Usagi trusted her..."  
  
Again, Ami felt tightness in her chest.  
  
"You don't look so good," Luna said to Ami. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to rest before I tell you this?"  
  
Ami shook her head.  
  
"No. I have to know about Kuroiami if I'm going to get Usagi back--my Usagi."  
  
"Very well," Luna said, sitting down on her haunches to begin her story. "I guess it must have been eight years ago when I first met Usagi--Sailormoon--and shortly after that we met Kuroiami, who we discovered was Sailormercury. Of course we didn't call her Kuroiami then--she was just 'Ami'--but already I could see that she was dangerous. She was actually living as a runaway when we found her, but she was already proficient with black magic and mind control, and I should have realized someone else had gotten to her before us.  
  
"It was Queen Beryl, of course. Before she ever met us, Kuroiami had met with Beryl and become her protégé. Kuroiami pretended to follow Sailormoon as Sailormercury, for a time--until she effected an ambush that put all the Sailor Senshi in Beryl's hands along with the ginzuishou. Then Kuroiami turned the tables on Beryl--turning her own generals against her--and staged a coup that left her in power.  
  
"In the end, Kuroiami ended up controlling two sets of generals--Beryl's four generals, plus the three black Senshi she turned to her own side. Kuroiami's only real problem was that she couldn't use the ginzuishou directly, but she got around that by putting Usagi in a trance and drawing the ginzuishou's energy from Usagi's sleeping body..."   
  
"But what about Tuxedo Kamen?" Ami interrupted; "didn't he try to stop Kuroiami?"  
  
"He did, but it was fruitless. It's been seven years since anyone saw him alive, so we assume Kuroiami killed him."  
  
Ami gasped.  
  
"But what about the Outer Senshi? They're obviously still fighting her."  
  
"Yes, but with limited ability. Have you noticed how one of the Outer Senshi is missing?"  
  
"Sailorsaturn, yes. I was going to ask about that..."  
  
"She's dead," Luna said. "A police sniper shot Hotaru before her powers could emerge."  
  
"Oh my God..."  
  
"As I come to think about it," Luna said, "I suspect it was actually Metallia who perverted Kuroiami's soul, specifically to groom a more competent assistant than Beryl. And say what you will, Kuroiami was competent; instead of taking over the Earth by force, she used her generals to take control of the world's governments from the inside. Today, the nations of the world have all surrendered their independence to the United Nations--which itself is a puppet agency controlled by Kuroiami. With all that power, it was child's play to have the Tokyo Police pick off Hotaru before she became a threat."  
  
"So how did Tokyo become so...well, wrecked?"  
  
"Well, other enemies did arise to face Kuroiami--Pharaoh 90, for example, and Queen Neherenia--and those battles were fought here in Tokyo. In the end, Pharaoh 90 was annihilated, and Neherenia banished back to the Dead Moon, but the battles did leave a lot of wreckage; as for why Kuroiami didn't have the wreckage cleared away, nobody knows. Some people say the battleground is a monument to her ego, but I think it's more practical; with all the rubble around, it would be hard for an enemy to surround her palace quickly."  
  
"Where is her palace?"  
  
"It's one of Pharaoh 90's buildings--the former Mugen Tower."  
  
"Do you mean the tower that housed the Mugen Gakuen?"  
  
"I see you've heard of it."  
  
"It also existed in our world; but it was destroyed, eventually."  
  
"Well, I suppose there are bound to be differences between our worlds. Apparently, Kuroiami viewed Mugen Tower as a sort of trophy, and that's why she had it preserved."  
  
Ami pursed her brows, recalling the details of her own campaign as a Sailor Senshi.  
  
"I noticed you didn't mention the Dark Moon Family," Ami said.  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
"Well, enemies from the future; from the time of Crystal Tokyo..."  
  
"Crystal Tokyo? I'm afraid I haven't heard of that either."  
  
"Then I don't suppose you'd know who Chibi-Usa is either..."  
  
Luna looked at Ami blankly.  
  
Of course, Ami thought; with Mamoru killed and Usagi imprisoned, Chibi-Usa was never born, and Crystal Tokyo was never created.  
  
My God--is it possible that Kuroiami will still be on the throne a thousand years from now...?  
  
"Wait a minute," Ami said; "there was another enemy that came after Queen Neherenia. Sailor Galaxia was nearly strong enough to defeat Sailormoon…"  
  
Luna looked at Ami with shock.  
  
"Queen Galaxia was your ENEMY?"  
  
"Well...yeah..."  
  
"Well, then, our worlds must be very different! Galaxia is our last real hope to defeat Kuroiami."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Queen Galaxia is accepted as the rightful ruler of the Confraternity of Worlds--an association of all the planets of the galaxy with Sailor Senshi. If we could make her aware of Kuroiami's activities, I'm sure she would come here with her power, and destroy Kuroiami once and for all."  
  
Ami made a wry grimace, trying to wrap her brain around the notion of Galaxia being an ally. Of course, in a world where Ami's own alter-ego was utterly wicked, it wasn't that hard to imagine that other things were different as well.  
  
"Don't you have a radio, or some way to contact her?"  
  
"It isn't that simple; a radio message would take eons to reach Galaxia's castle at the Sagittarius Zero Star. But there is an experimental tachyon transmitter on top of Mugen Palace that could reach the planet Kinmoku, and--hopefully--Princess Kakyuu could forward our message to Galaxia."  
  
At the mention of Kakyuu, Ami's eyes widened.  
  
"I'm sure Kakyuu would help us," Ami said.  
  
"Have you met the princess?"  
  
"Briefly," Ami said, "in my world. She was very wise...and very beautiful."  
  
"Unfortunately, I wouldn't know myself," Luna said. "I didn't have access to the Mugen transmitter, so I don't know what Dr. Tomoe and his people might have shared with her. But the fact remains that reaching her is our only hope."  
  
Ami nodded, thoughtfully.  
  
"Well, there must be some way into that palace," Ami said.  
  
"Indeed there is," Luna said, "which brings me to the reason YOU might be valuable to us. Do you play chess?"  
  
"A little. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Because that's the easiest way into the palace. There are regular tournaments held into Mugen Palace, for people at the Grand Master level."  
  
"That's better than I am."  
  
"I have a feeling you're being modest," Luna said, hopping off Ami's bed and grabbing the handle of a small box on a side shelf with her teeth. She then returned to the bed and allowed Ami to open the box--a miniature chess set.  
  
"Think you're up to a game?"  
  
"I never played chess with Luna before," Ami said, with a slight smile. "Sure..."  
  
A half hour later, Ami was duly impressed that Luna had played her to a draw--but not half as impressed as Luna.  
  
"You're good," Luna conceded. "Better than I expected."  
  
"But you're just as good as me, Luna. What do you need me for?"  
  
"I'll show you," Luna said, hopping off the bed again. Then, before Ami's eyes, Luna began to transform...  
  
But it wasn't the human Luna that Luna transformed into.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In front of the science building, meanwhile, Setsuna was standing guard while Haruka and Michiru packed supplies in the building lobby. Despite the wound to her forehead, Setsuna insisted she was well enough to do that work at least, and thus was the first to see Luna emerging from the rubble of the nearby university buildings.  
  
"Luna? What are you doing out here?"  
  
"Where else would I be? I've been out on patrol all day."  
  
"But I thought you were down in the basement with Mizuno-san--"  
  
Luna never heard the end of that sentence; cutting off her own comment, Setsuna spun on her heels and immediately raced back into the building. Watching her run past, Haruka and Michiru both dropped what they were doing and fell in behind her.  
  
"What is it?" Michiru asked. "What's the matter--?"  
  
But that was obvious enough when Setsuna reached the room where they'd left Luna and Ami. Throwing the door open, the Outer Senshi found the room empty.  
  
"Kuroiami..." Michiru said. "Only Kuroiami could do this."  
  
"She was toying with us," Setsuna said. "She was right beneath our noses and we didn't recognize her!"  
  
"Chikusho!" Haruka spat, punching a metal storage locker. "That bitch--!"  
  
  
  
  
-------  
[AN: * "heishi"—a professional soldier (as opposed to a "senshi", or "warrior")] 


	4. Beyond the Future

Empire of the Dark Ami  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.)   
-------  
CHAPTER FOUR  
  
"Queen to King 3."  
  
"King to Rook 1."  
  
"Rook takes Bishop. I'm afraid your situation is unfavorable, Hoshi."  
  
Hoshi grumbled, tipping over his king.  
  
"I thought I had you there, Mother."  
  
"You very nearly did. But appearances can be deceiving at this level of play. Strength can be weakness; advantages can be disadvantages."  
  
"Well, you certainly are subtle, Mother."  
  
"Oh, I endeavor," Kuroiami said, turning the chessboard around for a new game; "I endeavor…"  
  
* * *  
  
In June of the year 3055--on the old Christian calendar--Crystal Tokyo and the planet Earth were at peace. The endless wars that had ravaged the planet were now distant memories, and the Inner Senshi--the Solar princesses Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus--had long ago set aside their henshin sticks and Senshi powers; only the Outer Senshi patrolled the Solar System now, leaving the peaceful Earth to a new golden age.  
  
And yet there was unrest in Crystal Tokyo. For many months, the great Neo-Queen Serenity had not been seen in public, and rumors were rife that she was deathly ill. Her daughter, the Crown Princess Serenity, was now a mature young woman in her own right--and evidently prepared to assume the crown--yet the old queen refused to relinquish her power.  
  
In fact, the reason for Neo-Queen Serenity's sequester was simple vanity; she was aging rapidly, as the ginzuishou lost its power to sustain her youth. Not content with simply creating the paradise of Crystal Tokyo, the queen had felt it her duty to purify the entire Earth as well, flushing the poisons and toxins of an earlier age from the air, the sea and the soil; however, using such power had drained the power of the crystal, and now the queen's life force was fading as well.  
  
It was, thus, a pensive King Endymion who came to visit Princess Mercury at the office where she worked as a doctor. Although Mercury was still officially the queen's physician, the princess had started a private practice as well since--at least until recent years--the queen had been in perfect health.  
  
"May I speak with you a moment, Dr. Mizuno?"  
  
"Oh, certainly…" Mercury said, hastily saving the research program on her desktop computer and shutting off the screen. "I was just going over some records."  
  
Endymion smiled, slumping into a couch before her desk.  
  
"You don't have to pretend with me, Princess Mercury; I know you've been studying Usako's condition. Indeed, that's what I came here to ask you about."  
  
Mercury sighed, looking down at her desk and the various ominous graphs and charts she'd created; then, after a moment, she stood from her chair and walked across the room to Endymion, sitting beside him.  
  
"I'm sure you know the indications aren't favorable," Mercury said. "But you must be able to sense that, the way your souls are joined together."  
  
"Yes, I can feel it," Endymion said, clutching his chest. "But perhaps I just wanted to hear it from another person. I know that she'll die if she uses the crystal again."  
  
"Have you tried talking some sense into her? Will she cancel the trip to Siberia?"  
  
"No; she's determined to visit the nuclear waste dump, and finish purifying the Earth."  
  
"But…"  
  
Mercury hesitated a moment.  
  
"…you could die, Mamoru."  
  
"You haven't called me that for a long time, Ami-chan."  
  
Ami looked away with tears in her eyes.  
  
"Are you crying for Usako, or for me?" Endymion asked.  
  
"I won't deny it," Ami said, "I have loved you all my life. Forgive me for saying that, but it would break my heart if I lost you."  
  
Endymion reached over to rest his hand on Mercury's, now balled into fists in her lap.  
  
"It is true that my soul is chained to Usako's," Endymion said, "but not my heart. The truth be told, I love you as well, Ami-chan."  
  
  
Mercury looked up with surprise.  
  
"But we are creatures of duty," the king continued, "loyal to our queen and our kingdom. And besides, a man who isn't faithful to his wife is hardly worthy of your love."   
  
"I…just don't want to lose you," Mercury said; "losing Usagi would be bad enough, but to lose both of you together…"  
  
"Hush now," Endymion said, pulling Mercury closer to him, "it'll be all right."  
  
For a long moment, Mercury just sat there huddled next to the king, alternately grateful for his strength, and guilty for her weakness; it was the king who had come here asking for Mercury's help, after all, and here she was taking advantage of his kindness.   
  
But it wasn't as if they hadn't been friends for centuries; it was just so easy to imagine being more than just a friend…  
  
  
* * *  
  
Two days later, six women in gowns of gleaming white, and a man in a lavender tuxedo, stood on a wind-swept plain in eastern Russia. Before them was a huge dome of concrete--an artificial mountain housing spent nuclear fuel rods and reactor cores--the last vestige of a bygone civilization's flirtation with nuclear energy.  
  
"Is it really necessary to do this?" Princess Mars asked Neo-Queen Serenity.   
  
"Yeah," Princess Jupiter said; "it's not like there's any serious danger of radiation leakage from this site."  
  
"Nonetheless," Neo-Queen Serenity said, "the great work must be done. The Earth must be purified, for the sake of future generations."  
  
The Solar princesses glanced at each other--and at King Endymion and Crown Princess Serenity--but no one knew what to say that would alter the queen's decision. Indeed, gaunt and haggard as the queen was, it almost seemed as if her force of will was the only thing keeping her alive.   
  
"Mercury," the queen said, "would you start the camera please?"  
  
"Hai," Mercury said, pressing a button on her minicomputer, and bringing a hovering holographic camera to life. A cousin of the Luna-P Ball (which Mercury had also built) the camera automatically focused its lens on the queen, then flashed a red light to tell the queen it had started recording.  
  
"My friends," the queen said, glancing at her comrades, "and people of the Earth, it is incumbent upon me this day to complete a great work. Long ago, the Ancient Moon Kingdom was destroyed and our homeworld left a barren rock, yet this world--the mother world of the human race--welcomed us, and became our second home. Thus, to help repay this ancient debt, it is only appropriate that we should use the power of the Silver Crystal to purify the Earth, and cleanse it of its ancient injuries."  
  
The queen brought forth the ginzuishou.  
  
"Silver Crystal of Illusions," she intoned, "diviner of mysteries, creator of miracles…unweave the fabric of space-time, unfold the magic of the Ancient Lunar Kingdom, purify and transform!"  
  
Suddenly, the ginzuishou blazed with light, then an even greater light erupted from inside the concrete dome of nuclear debris. For a moment, the Siberian plain was bathed in light--as if the very sun had descended to the earth--then the light faded to reveal a dome transformed; where once was concrete and streel, now was earth, grass and flowers.   
  
"At last," the queen said, lowering her arms, "it is done."  
  
Then she fell--like a marionette with its strings cut--limp and lifeless to the ground at her feet.  
  
"Your Majesty!" Mercury cried, shutting off the camera. Then, fulfilling her duty as the queen's physician, she moved to kneel beside the queen and scan her body with her minicomputer.  
  
"How is she, Mercury?" Princess Venus asked, mirroring the concern of all the princesses.  
  
"I'm sorry," Mercury said, after a moment; "the queen is dead."  
  
"Mama!" cried the crown princess, throwing herself on the queen's body. "Mama, you can't be dead!"  
  
The king was no less shaken himself; on his knees beside the queen, he held a lifeless hand in his own, and--for all the world--he looked like a man who'd had his very heart cut out. And yet he was not dead--a fact that surprised no one so much as Endymion himself.  
  
* * *  
  
Thus it came to pass that Crystal Tokyo would soon see its second queen. One month later, Crown Princess Serenity was crowned in a public ceremony in the Great Hall of the Crystal Palace, with the crown placed on her head by the noble Sailorpluto, daughter of Chronos.   
  
"In the name of the Ancient Kingdom," Sailorpluto said, "I dub thee Queen Serenity the Second."  
  
Serenity's long hair then changed from pink to silver (eliciting an awestruck "ahhh!" from the crowd), and Sailorpluto knelt before the queen, along with all the assembled Sailor Senshi, the Solar princesses, and the king. Curiously, Mercury noted, the king now resembled his daughter more than he ever had before; with the recent shock of Neo-Queen Serenity's death, Endymion's black hair had faded to a stately gray that was very nearly silver.  
  
But at least he's alive, Mercury thought.  
  
Afterward, a grand reception--not open to the public--was held in the palace, and Sailorpluto quickly made a point of taking Mercury aside.  
  
"Dr. Mizuno, may I have a word with you?"  
  
"Certainly, Pluto. What can I do for you?"  
  
"I have a concern about the queen--our former queen, I mean; as you know, her body is resting in state, but it seems peculiar that her body isn't decomposing."  
  
"Wasn't she embalmed?"   
  
"That's the thing--I learned only yesterday that the queen was not embalmed. Dr. Takahashi--who was to perform the procedure--told me that his hand was stayed by an awesome force, and a voice that told him not to embalm the body."  
  
"That's peculiar; why didn't he tell us?"  
  
"He said he didn't want us to think he's crazy. At any rate, since you were the late queen's physician, I thought you might be able to shed some light on this matter."  
  
"No, not offhand," Mercury said, "but Luna might. Let's see if we can find her…"  
  
Mercury then led Sailorpluto to the side chamber where she'd last seen Luna, Artemis and the now-teenage Diana--all transformed into human form for this special occasion. Given her closeness to the late queen, Luna wasn't in the mood to circulate among the guests in the larger crowd, but she nevertheless greeted Sailorpluto and Mercury warmly, and listened with interest to Sailorpluto's description of the late queen's condition.  
  
"I've heard of that happening before," Luna said, "with other celestial queens. They say such queens retain their mortal form, even in death."  
  
"I don't know how realistic that is," Artemis said; "wouldn't that mean the original Queen Serenity is still up on the Moon somewhere?"  
  
"Likely not," Luna said patiently; "if you'll recall, Sailorsaturn destroyed the last remnants of the Moon Kingdom long ago; doubtless, the queen's mortal body was extinguished along with the rest of the kingdom."  
  
"Okay," Mercury interrupted, "but what of the voice that spoke to Dr. Takahashi? And the force that stayed his hand? Is it dangerous? What does it mean?"  
  
Luna and Artemis glanced at each other, and shrugged.  
  
"I don't know," Luna said finally; "however, it might be prudent to perhaps delay the late queen's burial, or cremation."  
  
"Why's that?" Mercury asked.  
  
"Well, she might not be dead. She might just seem dead, to our crude scientific instruments."  
  
* * *  
  
For Mercury, Luna's words were haunting and troubling. She had thought that Endymion had somehow survived the sundering of his soul from Neo-Queen Serenity's, but what if the late queen was still alive? What if the king was still shackled to her, and could only survive as long as she did?  
  
Dwelling on these thoughts, Mercury then parted from Sailorpluto and wandered still farther away from the reception; thus she was startled when she came across the king in a side corridor. Not seeing her at first, Endymion stood with his hand on his chest, and Mercury raced to his side in alarm.  
  
"Your Majesty! Are you all right?"  
  
Endymion looked up in surprise.  
  
"Ami-chan? Yes, I'm all right."  
  
"But you had your hand on your heart," Mercury said; "I feared…"  
  
"…that I was dying? No. I was just amazed by this feeling I have in my heart now. I guess you might call it liberation."  
  
"So you don't feel bound to Neo-Queen Serenity anymore?"  
  
"That's the funny thing," Endymion said. "I do feel that she's still with me, and yet it's not like it was before. It's more like she's watching over me somehow, protecting me…"  
  
"Oh," Mercury said, scarcely concealing her disappointment. "I see."  
  
"You seem sad," Endymion said. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I just thought…now that she's gone…"  
  
But Mercury couldn't find the words to explain her feelings; even now, Usagi maintained her hold on Mamoru's heart, and Mercury hated herself for resenting her dead friend.  
  
Forgive me, Usagi-chan, Mercury thought, but I hate you! Why won't you let Mamoru go! Why can't you let us have even a single day together!   
  
"Gomen nasai…!" Ami said tearfully, turning to run away.  
  
But Endymion caught her by the hand, holding her in place.  
  
"Please let me go…!" Ami said, not wanting the king to see her tears.  
  
But the king wouldn't let her go; instead he pulled her back to him, turning Mercury around so she spun on her high heels, then took her in his arms.  
  
"Haven't I told you?" Endymion said to Mercury; "a heart cannot be chained."  
  
"But Usagi…"  
  
"Usagi loved me," Endymion said gently, "but she loved you too. I feel that love within me, Ami-chan--the love she had for both of us."  
  
Confused, Mercury looked up at Endymion's eyes, and the king looked back at her with a tenderness that was clearly now more than friendship. For a long moment, he did simply look at her, brushing a blue lock of hair out of her eyes, then he lowered his lips to hers…  
  
And they kissed. Emotions exploded inside Ami--her guilt and longing merging as one--and her heart seemed to somersault in her chest; yet she could not resist the sheer pleasure of this moment--letting her friend pull her to him even as she answered his hunger with her own. Impelled by the force of a dozen lifetimes apart, the lovers tasted, consumed, devoured each other--even as tears poured from Mercury's eyes, and silent sobs wracked her body.  
  
* * *  
  
Inevitably, a change of queens brought other changes as well. While away from the Earth, the Crown Princess had spent several years fighting a new enemy as the new Sailormoon--along with Sailorceres, Sailorpallas, Sailorjuno and Sailorvesta--and thus she had formed a very close bond with those Senshi. Less than three months after assuming the throne, therefore, she began to move her friends into place as advisors and ministers--replacing the Solar princesses.  
  
The transfer of power wasn't altogether smooth, however; Sailormars--more than any other princess--resented being pushed aside, especially when the Outer Senshi retained their status as the protectors of the Solar System. Always a passionate person, and also the closest of the late queen's friends, Sailormars found it ridiculous that she and the other Senshi were simply being 'put out to pasture'.  
  
"I think you're overreacting a bit," said Queen Serenity II, looking at Princess Mars across a large round table, around which the other Solar princesses and the king were also seated. "Nonetheless, I called this meeting for you to air your opinions, and I would like to hear them."  
  
"Well," Princess Venus said, "I for one wouldn't mind a proper retirement. Being the Minister of Information was a lot of work."  
  
"Oh, please," Princess Jupiter said, "it's not like you didn't have your staff do all the work for you."  
  
"Well, yes," Venus admitted, "but I still had important responsibilities; I had to look *good*, to represent the Ministry."  
  
Princess Mars rolled her eyes and sighed.  
  
"What do you think of all this, Mercury?" Mars said to Mercury. Mercury, however, was glancing at King Endymion, and didn't hear the question.  
  
"Excuse me, I didn't hear the question."  
  
"Maybe it is time to retire," Venus said. "Even Mercury's spacing out."   
  
Queen Serenity smiled slightly, glancing at both her father and Princess Mercury.  
  
"I think we can forgive Mercury for spacing out," the queen said. "Wasn't there something one of you wanted to announce, Father?"  
  
"Oh," Endymion said, "I thought I'd…er…leave that to Princess Mercury…"  
  
Mercury blushed.  
  
"But you are the king," Mercury said; "I think you should say it."  
  
"No, you should say it."  
  
  
"Well, one of you say it!" Jupiter interjected.  
  
"Oh, heck, I'll say it," Serenity said. "My father and Princess Mercury are going to be married."  
  
For a long moment, Venus and Jupiter just looked at Mercury and Endymion with jaws agape, then rushed around the table to congratulate them.  
  
"Ami-chan!" Venus said, "why didn't you tell us!"  
  
"You sly dog," Jupiter said to Endymion, punching him in the arm.  
  
"We weren't sure if we'd have your blessing," Endymion said, reaching to Mercury and holding her hand. "It has only been three month since…Usako passed away."  
  
"Well, it's not like we couldn't tell SOMETHING was up," Venus said; "the way you two were always sneaking off together."  
  
On the other side of the table, meanwhile, Mars had been fuming silently--trying to restrain her own anger--but finally she could hold it no longer. Between the insult to her honor of being retired, the frivolous attitude of her fellow princesses, and now THIS…it was simply more than she could take.  
  
  
"I can't help but wonder," Mars said to Mercury, icily, "if you might be getting married because you have to."  
  
"Mars!" Jupiter said; "what a terrible thing to say!"  
  
"Indeed," Endymion said, standing up from the table; "I demand you apologize to Princess Mercury at once!"  
  
"Pompous windbag," Mars said, standing up as well, "who the hell do you think you are, asking ME to apologize? Honestly, Usagi's not even properly buried yet, and here you are going at like dogs in heat! I wouldn't think you could be such a vermin, but I guess you are!"  
  
"Mars, please…" Mercury said, "…it's not like that…"  
  
"Bah!" Mars said, slamming her chair into the table. "You can do what you like; as far as I'm concerned, this kingdom died with Usagi!"  
  
Mars then spun on her heel and left.  
  
"Don't worry about her," Jupiter said to Mercury, resting a hand on her shoulder; "she's just jealous."  
  
Mercury didn't respond however, reflecting instead on the last words Mars had spoken.  
  
What if she's right? Mercury wondered; what if the kingdom did die with Usagi? What if our marriage is just another nail in the coffin…?  
  
* * *  
  
In the months that followed, Princess Mercury felt a strange blend of happiness and sadness; Princess Mars never did speak to her again--and indeed, Mars left Japan altogether to be as far away from Crystal Tokyo as possible--but Princess Venus and Princess Jupiter both seemed obsessed with planning for the coming wedding. In a way, that was logical; with their former responsibilities terminated, they had a lot more free time on their hands. However, Endymion and Mercury agreed that they should wait at least until December for the ceremony--out of respect for the passing of Neo-Queen Serenity--and that meant that Venus and Jupiter had a lot of time to do a lot of planning. Although Endymion and Mercury had wanted a modest ceremony, the plans very rapidly ballooned into a giant celebration with hundreds of guests in the largest ballroom in the entire palace.  
  
For her part, Mercury was sad that Mars would not be available to officiate, and it also troubled Mercury that Neo-Queen Serenity--the great love of Endymion's life--still hadn't been properly laid to rest. Through it all, though, Endymion's love sustained Mercury--along with her sense that Usagi's spirit was indeed hovering protectively over the two of them. Instead of hating Usagi for dragging Endymion's soul to the grave, Mercury began to feel very differently; she began to suspect that Usagi had wanted this all along--for two of her best friends to be together, when she herself couldn't be there for them.  
  
If only I knew for certain, Mercury thought, looking out upon the lights of Crystal Tokyo one night in late November; do I have Usagi's blessing, or am I doing something terribly wrong?  
  
Months earlier, Mercury had moved into the king's chambers in the palace--the home Endymion had previously shared with Neo-Queen Serenity--and it was certainly strange to see so many reminders of the late queen all around herself. The late queen had kept innumerable mementoes of her life with her husband and daughter--pictures, trinkets, video recordings--and this contributed to her sense of Usagi as a living presence in her life.  
  
Well, I guess I should look at these dresses and make Venus happy… Mercury thought, lifting up a computer notepad with a high-resolution holographic display. The gadget--which belonged to Venus--was quite ingenious; using a stored image of Mercury's body, it could show how she'd look in thousands of different outfits, in thousands of different colors.  
  
Of course, Venus had given it to Mercury specifically to help her select a wedding dress, but--being curious by nature--Mercury couldn't help but wonder how she'd look in other outfits, some very different from anything she'd ever consider wearing.  
  
"Well that doesn't look right," Mercury muttered, dressing herself in one of Minako's old red dresses, with white lace trim; "let's try something else…"  
  
Scrolling through the choices, Mercury then paused on something she thought Endymion would find amusing--a short black dress and spike heels.  
  
No, Mercury thought to herself, you don't look good in black, Ami.   
  
Suddenly, Ami's heart skipped a beat.  
  
Wait a minute…where have I heard that before? 'Black Ami'…'kuroi Ami'…  
  
"Kuroiami--!"  
  
  
Oh my God, Ami thought, dropping the notepad and stumbling away from the window. Kuroiami must have created this place! It's a goddamn illusion…!  
  
Just then, Endymion entered the room, and he raced to grab Mercury before she fell.  
  
"Ami-chan, what's wrong?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," Ami said, with a feeble smile, "…only I just realized you're a little too perfect. I always wondered why you didn't use the golden crystal to help Usagi purify the Earth--but then this is my fantasy, isn't it? Usagi dies a noble death--exhausting herself with the silver crystal--then I get the man I always wanted.  
  
"Only you would never betray Usagi like you did. I knew that, but I just didn't want to believe it."  
  
"Ami-chan, you're delirious. You don't know what you're saying."  
  
But Mercury just shook her head.  
  
"No, I know what I'm saying. I'll give you credit, Kuroiami; you played a good game. Just not good enough to win…"  
* * *   
  
"I prefer to think of it as a draw," Kuroiami said, gazing upon Ami's unconscious body and brushing a lock of hair out of Ami's eyes. "You got something, I got something--but a good game, nonetheless."   
  
Though Ami did not know it, she was actually hovering in a circular chamber between two other hovering bodies--her friend Tsukino Usagi, whom she'd followed to this world from another universe--and another Tsukino Usagi, who was native to Kuroiami's world. Each Usagi held a ginzuishou--glowing softly with power--but that wasn't the only difference between the fair-haired girls and Ami; while Ami was finally sleeping naturally--having escaped Kuroiami's enchantment--her companions remained bewitched, living out futures they did not know to be false.   
  
"Indeed," Kuroiami said, "you are a worthy foe. Perhaps one day, you could even be my friend…"  
  
Kuroiami laughed.  
  
"Well, I suppose that would be asking a lot. But you certainly are a worthy adversary. Now rest, gentle Ami, and we shall resume our game later, on another field…" 


	5. A Glow in the Night

Empire of the Dark Ami  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.  
  
By the way, I'd like to take a moment to mention that I appreciate all the comments I've received about this story so far. Although I do have a plan for the story, I'm interested to hear what works or doesn't work so I can try to improve the story in the future. Thus, I invite anyone with an opinion to comment regardless of whether you happen to think the story is good or bad, or just plain awful.)  
-------  
CHAPTER FIVE  
(November, AD 1994)  
  
With Mugen Gakuen rumbling from the shock of battle outside, Dr. Souichi Tomoe was pensive in his laboratory.  
  
"The time has come," Dr. Tomoe said to Kaorinite; "you must evacuate."  
  
"No!" the red-haired woman said. "My place is here with you--!"  
  
"No, it is not yet time for you to die. Kuroiami does not know you live; she thought you were killed earlier in battle. Therefore, I still have a special use for you."  
  
"What is it, Doctor?"  
  
Dr. Tomoe eyed Kaorinite dispassionately, as another rumble shook the building, then approached her silently. A moment later, main power failed and only emergency lighting lit the laboratory as Dr. Tomoe drew within centimeters of the woman--close enough to smell her, and indeed to taste her.  
  
For Dr. Tomoe kissed Kaorinite, with a sudden forcefulness that made her eyes pop open wide with surprise. It was not an act of love, however, but an act of force; even as their lips and tongues met, Kaorinite felt a power flow from the doctor and into her body.  
  
"What is this?" Kaorinite asked afterward, staggering backward.  
  
"You will know when the time is right," Dr. Tomoe said, glancing upward as another blast rocked the building, and what was left of his equipment shattered in the distance. "Go now, and hide yourself from Kuroiami's power."  
  
"But..."  
  
"There is no time," Dr. Tomoe said. "When the time is right, you will be our instrument of vengeance. Now go!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
(August, AD 2000)  
  
In the throne room of Mugen Palace, long shadows stretched across the floor as two blue-haired women, a brown-haired woman, and a blue-haired boy considered the chess problem before them.  
  
"Knight to Queen's Bishop 6," Mizuno Ami said finally, making her move.  
  
Her opponent sighed.  
  
"The move draws by repetition," Kuroiami said, with obvious frustration.  
  
Kuroiami's son Hoshi seemed quite amused, however.  
  
"A stalemate," Hoshi said; "you're rather skilled, Mizuno-san."  
  
"Arigatou, Mizuno-sama."  
  
Kuroiami scowled. By a sheer coincidence, Ami and Hoshi looked very similar, and not just because of their blue hair, blue eyes and similar features. Earlier in the day, Kuroiami's servant youma had supplied Ami with a girl's sailor uniform--to replace the grungy clothes she'd been wearing for several days--and that sailor uniform looked very similar to the sailor suit that 6-year old Hoshi was wearing. In contrast, Hoshi's brown-haired teacher Reika wore a suit of dark gray, and Kuroiami herself wore a Senshi fuku of midnight black.  
  
And Kuroiami's mood at the moment was every bit as dark as her fuku.  
  
"Skilled or not," Kuroiami said, "Mizuno-san should know that a stalemate is not a victory. She will not beat me if she continues to play for a draw."  
  
"And you'll never beat me by talking about it," Ami replied. "We've played three games so far, and you still haven't beaten me yet."  
  
Hoshi very nearly chuckled, testing Kuroiami's patience.  
  
"Don't you have something else to be doing, Hoshi-kun?"  
  
"Perhaps we should leave your mother and Mizuno-san alone for now," Reika said, putting a hand on Hoshi's shoulder.  
  
"Okay," Hoshi said, bowing to Kuroiami and Ami. "Dewa mata, Okasan, Mizuno-san."  
  
Ami nodded, then spoke to Kuroiami after Hoshi and Reika left.  
  
"Your son seems like a nice young man."  
  
"It's a pity, really," Kuroiami said. "I was hoping he'd be more like me.  
  
"But perhaps you will indulge me in another game?"  
  
"Do I have a choice?"  
  
"Well, our wager is meaningless unless one of us wins eventually."  
  
"I must admit," Ami conceded, "it is peculiar that I can play you to a draw consistently; that shouldn't be possible against a player of your level."  
  
"Well, we are virtually identical in every meaningful way--even more so than identical twins. It's not surprising that you can anticipate my moves, just as I can predict yours."  
  
"Well, I daresay we're not completely identical. I'm not bent on world conquest."  
  
"I've already conquered the world, Mizuno-san."  
  
"But just one world. Surely you're not satisfied with that."  
  
Kuroiami smiled slightly.  
  
"You see what I meant about us having one mind," Kuroiami said.  
  
Ami's eyebrow twitched slightly, but she otherwise betrayed no reaction to having her own mind compared with Kuroiami's.  
  
"Well, one of us will have to win eventually," Ami said, turning the chessboard around and setting up the white pieces for the next game.  
  
"Indeed," Kuroiami agreed, "although, honestly, I think you're playing for much less than I am. Even if you win--by some chance--and I permit you to speak to Tsukino-san, you and Tsukino-san will never escape this palace.  
  
"But conversely, if I win..."  
  
"Yes, I know," Ami said, setting up her king and queen, "I'll bow before you. But you haven't won yet."  
  
Again, Kuroiami smiled.  
  
"Pawn to Queen 4," Ami said, making her first move.  
  
"You seem to like that opening."  
  
Ami shrugged.  
  
"Very well. Pawn to Queen 4..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
As dusk fell on the ruins of the central Tokyo, a surly white cat walked alone past an old Buddhist cemetery. Though Artemis was loyal to Sailorvenus, he found that he could only take so much of her egomaniacal personality at one time; then, as now, there was nothing like a walk among the ruins to clear his head.  
  
Ordinarily, Artemis didn't expect to meet many people there; most of Tokyo's living population had fled the ruins to live in the north, and only a desperate few still lived near the bay. Until recently, the Outer Senshi had been among those desperate few, but the latest intelligence reports indicated they were trying to flee to the north as well.  
  
It's just a matter of time until they're cornered, Artemis thought, then the last of our enemies will be dead. Including that bitch Luna...  
  
Artemis was shaken from his thoughts, however, when he heard something unusual in the cemetery; it sounded like a woman crying or screaming, but it wasn't quite like anything he'd ever heard before. Curious, he climbed a tree to get a better look at the cemetery and was startled by what he saw--a hugely pregnant woman squatting near the ground and giving birth, right in the middle of the cemetery.  
  
That was strange enough in and of itself, but Artemis was even more shocked when he realized that he recognized the woman: Kaorinite!  
  
But that's impossible! Artemis thought. She was killed years ago!  
  
Much as Artemis tried to deny it, though, he couldn't deny that the woman was virtually identical to Dr. Tomoe's chief assistant. Driven by curiosity, therefore, Artemis leapt down from the tree and approached the woman for a closer look; to his great surprise, the woman had already completed the birthing process by the time he got out of the tree, but he kept his silence until the woman laid the newborn baby before a family shrine with a too-familiar name.  
  
TOMOE  
  
"You there!" Artemis said; "what are you doing here?"  
  
"Stay back!" the woman replied, spinning around in surprise and throwing up her right hand.  
  
Artemis saw her right hand glowing with power, but he also saw how exhausted she looked.  
  
"I'll do no such thing," Artemis said. "This is the domain of Kuroiami-sama, and you will explain your presence here!"  
  
The woman scowled and made as if to blast Artemis, but the cat's intuition was correct; she was spent, and fell to the ground in a heap.  
  
"Baka," Artemis muttered, approaching the infant. In his head, he was already calculating when the child might have been conceived, and realized it must have been conceived well after the death of Dr. Tomoe. So who was the father then? And how had Kaorinite eluded Kuroiami's grasp for so long?  
  
Artemis barely had time to run those thoughts through his mind, however, when a blinding light began to issue from the child--brighter than the brightest sunlight. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but it was far too bright to look at directly; only after a moment did the glow diminish enough to let him look in the child's direction again.  
  
To his surprise, the child was now gone, and someone entirely different now stood before the family shrine.  
  
"I summon the Silence Glaive," the black-haired Senshi said, bringing forth a polearm with a wicked curving blade.  
  
"Who ARE you. ..?" Artemis asked, trying to control his fear.  
  
"I am Sailorsaturn, the Warrior of Revolution and Rebirth. Tell your queen I have come to end her reign."  
  
Despite himself, Artemis backed away warily.  
  
"What proof do you have of this? Her Majesty will demand proof..."  
  
The Senshi responded by pointing her weapon at the very tree Artemis had climbed down from, and released a wave of power that Artemis could feel even though it wasn't aimed directly at him. Instantly, the tree withered, cracked and exploded in a shower of atomized particles.  
  
"Will that suffice? Or shall I lay your blackened corpse on her doorstep instead?"  
  
Artemis took the hint and left expeditiously, while he was still his natural color.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In the Bunkyo-ku ward of Tokyo, meanwhile, the night echoed with the sound of machine gun fire.  
  
After losing Ami to Kuroiami, the Outer Senshi (and Luna) made a decision to head north, away from Kuroiami's base of power in Minato-Ku. However, they knew--realistically--that running from Kuroiami was ultimately futile; if Kuroiami could impersonate Luna in order to pluck Ami from their midst, there was no escaping her power. And indeed, they met that power in the form of an armored brigade just north of Kitanomura Park.  
  
"I thought you said this way was clear!" Sailoruranus said to Sailorneptune, ducking bullets behind a stone gate at the edge of the park.  
  
"No, I said this felt like the safest path," Sailorneptune replied.  
  
"It might be the safest path," Sailorpluto offered, "if we could just reach the Tokyo Dome across the way there. The troops are all pulled up close to our position, so all we really need to do is get past them..."  
  
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Sailoruranus asked.  
  
"We could combine our powers for a single strike..."  
  
"And knock out what--maybe one tank? The rest would mow us down before we got halfway across the street!"  
  
Just then, though, the firing stopped on its own, and an ominous hush fell over the park.  
  
"Girls," Luna said, looking back toward the middle of the park, "I think we've got trouble..."  
  
As one, the Outer Senshi turned and saw three familiar forms swaggering out of the trees.  
  
"Well, well, well," Sailorvenus said. "If it isn't the Outer Scum, all conveniently gathered to die in one place."  
  
Figuring the odds were at least somewhat even in a fight against the Black Senshi, the Outer Senshi braced themselves--but then saw Sailormars and Sailorjupiter step forward carrying submachineguns in their hands. Walking up next to Sailorvenus, Sailormars and Sailorjupiter cocked the bolts of their guns and then brought the guns to bear on the cornered Senshi.  
  
"You'd better shoot straight," Sailoruranus taunted the Black Senshi; "you know our fuku are bulletproof."  
  
"Yours may be," Sailorvenus said, "but I don't see Luna wearing a bulletproof vest."  
  
"Shimatta!" Sailoruranus muttered.  
  
"Surrender," Sailorvenus said, "and we'll make sure to kill you quickly. Or would you rather see Luna's insides splattered all over that gate there?"  
  
Sailoruranus scowled; the odds did not look good. And even if they did beat the Black Senshi, more troops were almost certainly advancing on the area. But this was the end Sailoruranus had anticipated, ever since Kuroiami had taken Ami away.  
  
"I'd rather die in battle, bitch," Sailoruranus said.  
  
"So much the better," Sailorvenus said, uncoiling the black chains of her sword from around her waist.  
  
"Oh my...!" Luna said, taking the opportunity to duck out of sight behind a trash can. It was there, as she watched the Black Senshi marching closer, that she caught sight of something peculiar-yet another Senshi standing BEHIND the Black Senshi.  
  
"This is not yet their time to die," the mysterious Senshi said, startling all three of the Black Senshi.  
  
"What the hell?" Sailormars said; "who is she?"  
  
" Never mind who she is," Sailorvenus said. "Kill her!"  
  
Sailormars shrugged, lifting her gun and squeezing the trigger. The bullets deflected harmlessly from a force field in front of the target, however, as they did when Sailorjupiter joined in to squeeze off the 30 rounds in her magazine.  
  
"Silence Glaive Surprise!" the new Senshi said, lifting her own weapon to strike back.  
  
Instinctively, all three of the Black Senshi cringed, but the colossal energy blast they expected proved to be aimed not at them, but rather at the tanks beyond the Outer Senshi in the street. With startling suddenness, the fuel and ammunition magazines of all the tanks exploded simultaneously, splitting the night with an earth-rattling roar.  
  
"The next one is for you," Sailorsaturn said, pointing the Silence Glaive at the Black Senshi. "Unless you flee."  
  
The Black Senshi fled.  
  
Even the Outer Senshi were more than a little terrified, though, for they knew exactly who Sailorsaturn was.  
  
"So the end has come," Sailorpluto said. "The destroyer has arrived."  
  
"I don't understand," Sailoruranus said to Sailorsaturn; "you were killed...! Kuroiami had you assassinated...!"  
  
"Death cannot die," Sailorsaturn said, drawing closer to the Outer Senshi. "But fear not. It is not this world's life I seek to end, but Kuroiami's.  
  
"Now will you join me? Or must I fight alone?"  
  
Sailoruranus glanced at the other Outer Senshi, who nodded back at her.  
  
"Evidently," Sailorneptune said, "the tide has turned in this battle."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Damnation," Kuroiami muttered; "will you not play a fair game!"  
  
Ami smiled, looking at Kuroiami across the chessboard.  
  
"Playing to a draw is perfectly legal," Ami said. "Besides, you're hardly one to speak of 'fairness' after you kidnapped my friend and attempted to brainwash me."  
  
Kuroiami considered blasting Ami with a lightning bolt, but restrained herself.  
  
"But can't you see--?" Kuroiami said. "Life is struggle; without struggle--without fighting to win--life is meaningless!"  
  
"So you want me to be more aggressive, is that it?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Too bad. Inevitably, your patience will fail and you will defeat yourself."  
  
Kuroiami leaned back in her chair, appraising Ami with a smile.  
  
"Even the Buddha would admire your patience, Mizuno-san. Most people would be scared out of their wits to sit there, yet there you are, playing to a draw through game after game."  
  
"I have no illusions, Kuroiami. I know you could kill me any time you want to. Since you haven't, it follows logically that you need me for some purpose."  
  
"Oh, it's worth it just to enjoy your icy wit," Kuroiami said, rising to stand. "But we've played enough for today. Tomorrow, I will force you to lose, or beat me outright."  
  
Ami stood up as well, letting Kuroiami's servant youma push in her chair for her and put away the chess set. Having spent the whole day with Kuroiami, Ami had quickly gained a sense for the way she liked things done...mostly letting other people do them for her.  
  
"It is about time for dinner," Kuroiami said, leading Ami into the adjacent corridor. "I had the chef prepare grilled salmon almondine, with anmitsu for dessert. Hopefully, that will meet with your approval."  
  
"That sounds like quite a feast. It's a good thing I didn't lose."  
  
"Oh, don't be so dour--I'd still feed you if you lost. You could always bow down to me after dinner."  
  
Not quite sure if Kuroiami was joking, Ami followed her to the main elevator, then down several levels to the main dining hall. This spacious chamber had once been the faculty dining room at Mugen Gakuen, but clever rearrangement of furniture, false panels and lighting made it look like a much smaller space now.  
  
It wasn't the furniture that first caught Ami's attention, however, but Hoshi and Reika, already seated at the main table. Both rose and bowed to Kuroiami.  
  
"Kuroiami-sama."  
  
"Okasan."  
  
"Please, be seated," Kuroiami said, sitting down at the table and pointing Ami to a seat as well.  
  
"So," Reika said to Ami, "did anyone win eventually?"  
  
"Not yet; but I'm sure someone will eventually."  
  
A moment later, a female youma waitress appeared at the table.  
  
"May I get anybody anything before we serve the main course? A beverage perhaps? For our special guest, we do have some very good Dai Ginjyo sake, just in from Niigata..."  
  
"Just tea please," Ami said; "thank you."  
  
"Likewise," Kuroiami said; "I'll want to keep my head sharp in case Mizuno-san is up for another game later."  
  
The youma seemed disappointed that nobody wanted to sample the sake, but duly withdrew to the kitchen after Hoshi and Reika also asked for tea.  
  
"I must say," Hoshi said to Ami, "I am impressed by your skill; you're quite a player. Better than me anyway."  
  
"Hoshi is being modest," Kuroiami said, as the youma returned to the table and poured the tea. "He's an internationally ranked grand master."  
  
Hoshi rolled his eyes while Kuroiami wasn't looking.  
  
"Perhaps we can play sometime," Ami said to Hoshi, with a warm smile. "I always enjoyed playing with my best friend at home..."  
  
Kuroiami gave a sharp glance at Ami.  
  
"Although," Ami added, "I doubt I shall see her again soon."  
  
"It's in you hands," Kuroiami said. "If you played more aggressively..."  
  
But suddenly Kuroiami fell silent, looking out a nearby window.  
  
"What's the matter?" Reika asked.  
  
"Nothing of consequence," Kuroiami said, standing up from her seat. "Something unexpected has arisen, but I'll return shortly."  
  
To Ami's utter surprise, Kuroiami then turned on her heel and left the room.  
  
"Well, that's peculiar," Ami said to Reika and Hoshi. "Isn't she concerned, leaving you two alone with me? She said I'm not her 'prisoner', but she hardly left me alone all day."  
  
"Perhaps she knows you're not the violent type," Reika said.  
  
"I can be," Ami said, drawing a metallic blue stick from her skirt pocket; "I've killed plenty of monsters when I was Sailormercury."  
  
"Perhaps," Hoshi said, "but the fact that Kuroiami let you keep your henshin stick is proof of her arrogance."  
  
"Hoshi!" Reika said. "You shouldn't speak that way about your mother!"  
  
"Is it not true?" Hoshi asked.  
  
Ami frowned slightly.  
  
"Even if you are Kuroiami's son," Ami said, "you shouldn't speak ill of your own mother."  
  
"Perhaps if she were a better mother," Hoshi replied, "I'd be a better son."  
  
"Honestly!" Ami said; "if you were my son..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well...I'd be very disappointed."  
  
Hoshi laughed.  
  
"You really are amazing, aren't you, Mizuno-san? Here you are a stranger in a strange world, with your best friend imprisoned, and yet you place a premium on courtesy!"  
  
"Courtesy is very important," Ami replied, pausing to sip her tea. "Just because we're enemies doesn't mean we can't conduct ourselves in a courteous manner."  
  
"Perhaps you're right. I just can't help but wonder sometimes, if Kuroiami really is my mother."  
  
Reika gasped, but did not speak.  
  
"I dare say," Ami said, "the resemblance is striking."  
  
"Yes, I know that. But I have these dreams sometimes--dreams where I see another mother..."  
  
"Another mother?"  
  
"Well, it may be Kuroiami, but she seems different somehow. She seems--I don't know; more like you."  
  
"But you hardly know me, Mizuno-sama."  
  
"On the contrary, Mizuno-san; I studied you for many months in your own world, before we captured you and Tsukino-san. I came to know you quite well."  
  
A chill ran down Ami's spine.  
  
"I had no idea."  
  
"It was sloppy of me to let you see me, toward the end. But it was too late for you to stop Kuroiami by then."  
  
"Mizuno-sama..." Ami said, "may I ask you a personal question?"  
  
"Who is my father?"  
  
"You must be psychic."  
  
"No, it's just what everybody wonders. I don't know who my father is."  
  
Ami glanced over at Reika, but the teacher's expression suggested it was best not to pry. Thus, Ami remained silent as the dutiful youma brought forth their dinner, and continued to be silent until something shook the building and caused the lights to flicker.  
  
"What was that?" Ami asked.  
  
"I don't know," Hoshi said, standing up and moving to a window.  
  
"Perhaps you should stay away from the windows," Ami said, moving to join Hoshi.  
  
"Yes," Reika agreed, also joining Hoshi; "if it's an earthquake, they could pop loose and shatter..."  
  
"I don't think it's an earthquake," Hoshi replied. "An earthquake wouldn't--"  
  
Before he could finish that thought, though, another shock hit the building--but this time with much more force; the lights went out, the dishes flew from the table, and Hoshi would have fallen had Ami and Reika not both moved to catch him.  
  
"Are you all right?" both women asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," Hoshi said, "but we're in terrible danger. We have to get out of here!"  
  
"But what of your mother?" Reika asked.  
  
"It's something stronger than Mother," Hoshi said, climbing back to his feet and taking both women by the hand. "Come; there may be little time..." 


	6. Knight Takes Pawn

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.)   
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER SIX  
  
(December, AD 1994)  
  
"Knight takes Pawn. Check."  
  
Mamoru grimaced slightly, contemplating his options.  
  
"Perhaps you should resign," Ami said. "Is it so bad to surrender?"  
  
"I'll keep playing. King to Queen 5."  
  
"Pawn to Bishop 3. Checkmate."  
  
Mamoru nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"You shouldn't feel bad," Ami said, rising from the park bench opposite Mamoru's, so that she blocked out the afternoon sun and cast a shadow across him. "You did well to last that long. But a deal is a deal."  
  
Whereupon Ami transformed into a Senshi clad all in black, with criss-crossing bands across her arms and legs and torso.  
  
"Give yourself to me, Mamoru; Usagi is already beaten. Resistance is futile."  
  
Mamoru stood as well, and became Tuxedo Kamen.  
  
"Give myself to you? I can't do that. You can kill me if you like, but you are not the Ami that I once knew. You are monster, cold and inhuman."  
  
Kuroiami shook with rage.  
  
"But we had a deal! You said you would give yourself to me!"  
  
"No. I said I would not resist you."  
  
For a moment, Kuroiami seemed uncertain what to do; energy coursed through her visibly--terrible energy that had already overmastered Beryl, Beryl's generals and the Inner Senshi alike. Looking into the mask of Tuxedo Kamen, she seemed to search for some hint of surrender, but he simply stood there as proudly as ever.  
  
At length, it was more than she could stand; searing energies flew forth from Kuroiami, melting the chess pieces on the park bench between them as they tore into the body of Tuxedo Kamen.  
  
* * * * *  
  
(August, AD 2000)  
  
As Mugen Palace shook from the force of incoming attacks, Ami, Reika and Hoshi struggled to keep their footing while heading for the nearest stairwell. Though the elevators might be working, none of them were willing to chance it with the building being battered as it was, and on generator power from the basement to boot.  
  
"The fighting is in front of the building," Hoshi said, "so the back is the safest way out..."  
  
"So you are you letting me escape?" Ami asked.  
  
"You and Reika, yes. Sailorsaturn will be vengeful once she penetrates Mother's defenses."  
  
"Sailor...Saturn? But I thought she was dead!"  
  
"I see it clearly enough," Hoshi explained, "with my second sight. Saturn has allied with the Outer Senshi, and their power is now complete."  
  
Racing down the stairs with Hoshi and Reika, Ami's heart swelled briefly with hope--but then she remembered that Sailorsaturn was indeed the Senshi of destruction, whose very presence was ominous and foreboding. Ami could not say that Kuroiami did not deserve annihilation, but did Reika and Hoshi deserve that fate? And what of the two Usagi's still held somewhere inside Mugen Palace? Surely, Ami couldn't just abandon them while Sailorsaturn reduced the building to rubble!  
  
"Hoshi, listen--" Ami said, as they reached the bottom of the stairs; "I need to find my friend, Usagi, and get her out of here. I can't leave without her."  
  
Hoshi looked at Ami, even as another blast rattled the building. He seemed uncertain, until Reika bent down on one knee to speak to him.  
  
"Hoshi-sama," Reika said, "won't you help Mizuno-san? You may have Kuroiami's power, but that doesn't mean you can't have compassion as well!"  
  
"Don't worry," Hoshi said to Reika, "I don't object to helping Mizuno-san. I'm only wondering if this building will stand long enough for her to make good her escape. Come with me."  
  
Not for the first time, Ami marveled at Hoshi's commanding presence--all the more remarkable for a boy of five.   
  
I wonder who his father could be, that he could be so wise. Perhaps it was Mamoru...  
  
But no, I can't imagine Mamoru betraying Usagi like that! Mamoru would rather die, I'm sure of it!  
  
Following Hoshi and Reika, Ami soon found herself descending into a part of Mugen Palace that Kuroiami had never shown her. The way was dark, down winding stairways lined with dripping water pipes that made footing treacherous, and--for a moment--Ami had a real fear that she might die there when the shuddering building collapsed on top of them.  
  
But Hoshi seemed fearless as he stopped before a seemingly featureless concrete wall, waved his hand and brought forth a secret portal. Beyond this lay a brightly-lit corridor, painted sterile white, and more corridors that branched off to the left and the right; Hoshi marched decisively to one particular corridor, though, and led his companions into a chamber that took Ami's breath away.  
  
"Usagi!"  
  
In fact, there were two Usagi's in the circular white chamber, hovering suspended in mid-air. Apparently unconscious, both Usagi's wore the elegant white gown of a Moon princess, and both held what seemed to be a glowing ginzuishou in her hands.   
  
Reika reached out to stop Ami, though, before Ami could enter the chamber.  
  
"Wait, Mizuno-san," Reika said; "your friend is in a trance, and she can't hear you."  
  
"Yes," Hoshi said, entering the chamber; "you were here as well, Mizuno-san, when Kuroiami first brought you to the palace. Unlike your friend, though--and the Tsukino-san of our world--you resisted Kuroiami's trance, and Kuroiami removed you afterward."  
  
Ami felt a rush of emotion; after all the trouble she'd gone through to follow her friend to this world, she'd been just a few centimeters from Usagi and never knew it!  
  
"Can you help them?" Ami asked. "Can you wake them up?"  
  
"Not yet," Hoshi said, "regrettably. Their trance is too deep. But they should awaken later, if you two think you can carry them out of here."  
  
Ami nodded at once, but Reika seemed uncertain.  
  
"What's the matter, Nishimura-san?" Hoshi asked.  
  
"What about the others," Reika said; "can't we get them out too?"  
  
"Nishimura-san, there's no time! We'll be lucky just to save the two Tsukino-san!"  
  
"Wait a minute," Ami interrupted; "who are these 'others'?"  
  
"I'll show you," Reika said, taking Ami by the hand and guiding her into another chamber. Once again, Ami was staggered.  
  
"Oh my God," Ami gasped, beholding two figures encased in solid crystal. "Is that Tuxedo Kamen, and Furuhata Motoki--!?"  
  
"Yes, they are," Hoshi said, "spell-frozen by Kuroiami, who could not bring herself to kill them. They might as well be dead now, though..."  
  
"No!" Reika said, pleading with Hoshi; "you have Kuroiami's power! You can free them! You have to free them!"  
  
"I can't be sure of that," Hoshi said; "it was powerful magic that bound these men; I might not survive, and--even if I do--the building will surely collapse before I succeed."  
  
Reika bit her lip pensively, looking back and forth from Hoshi to Motoki.  
  
Then suddenly, Ami made a decision.  
  
"You go ahead and help Nishimura-san," Ami said; "I'll go carry the two Usagi's to safety."  
  
"And I'll help--" Reika started to say.  
  
"No," Ami said; "stay here with Hoshi; you should be here when Furuhata-san wakes up."  
  
"But you can't carry both Usagi's at once; it will take too long..."  
  
"I'm stronger than I look," Ami said with a smile, producing her henshin stick. "I'll be back soon."  
  
* * * * *  
  
To Ami's relief, Sailormercury's strength was indeed sufficient to carry both Usagi's at once. Disappointing herself, Sailormercury did lose valuable seconds trying to figure out what to do with the two ginzuishou held by the two Usagi's; since the Usagi's were unconscious, Sailormercury assumed they would drop the crystals if Sailormercury tried to move them. However, the ginzuishou remained glued to the hands of the two Usagi's even after Sailormercury threw the girls over her shoulders and carried them out of their circular chamber. Outside the chamber, weight returned to the seemingly weightless Usagi's, but it was indeed nothing Sailormercury couldn't handle.  
  
One of them is heavier, Sailormercury noted with a slight smile; that must be my Usagi.  
  
In fact, Sailormercury suspected it wasn't her Usagi's fast-food diet that accounted for the difference; whereas her Usagi had only been in the chamber for a number of days, the other Usagi had been there for at least five years. With only her ginzuishou to sustain her, it was no wonder that this world's Usagi was slowly wasting away.  
  
Sailormercury had more important things to worry about in the meantime, however; with chips of concrete falling around her, and the building's steel framework creaking, Sailormercury knew she had to find a faster way out than the way she'd come in. Luckily, with her scanner, she found that way out through an underground parking structure.  
  
"I'll just leave you two in the grass behind the school," Sailormercury said to the girls; "even if the building collapses, the debris shouldn't fall that far."  
  
The girls remained silent.  
  
"Oh well, at least I found you. That's all that matters."  
  
A few seconds later, Sailormercury finally escaped the interior of Mugen Palace. The nighttime sky was lit with flashes of red and white--the tangible evidence of the battle occurring at the front of the school-but Sailormercury simply focused on getting her charges to safety. A few meters further would be enough...  
  
A few meters further...  
  
A few meters further...  
  
"Leaving so soon, Ami-chan?"  
  
Still carrying the two Usagi's, Sailormercury spun around.  
  
"Kuroiami! But how--?"  
  
Just then, Sailormercury noticed Artemis, curling around Kuroiami's legs.  
  
"This white rat," Kuroiami said, "was too late to warn me about Sailorsaturn. But he wasn't too late to warn me about your treachery."  
  
"So you've defeated the Outer Senshi."  
  
"Not hardly," Kuroiami said. "I've erected a barrier, and the Black Senshi will be strong enough to keep it up for several minutes. Long enough for me to take back what is mine, and make good my escape."  
  
Reaching out her hands, Kuroiami lifted the two Usagi's effortlessly out of Sailormercury's hands.  
  
"Damn you," Sailormercury said, starting to form an attack, "Mercury Aqua--!"  
  
"So quick to kill your friends?" Kuroiami said.  
  
Sailormercury scowled, but canceled her attack.  
  
"Kuroiami, don't you realize your son is still inside that building? And Nishimura-san? If the Outers break through your barrier, they could both be killed!"  
  
Kuroiami just laughed.  
  
"Oh, Ami-chan," Kuroiami said, "I have enjoyed our battles, but in some ways, you are very slow."  
  
Kuroiami paused to savor Sailormercury's confusion.  
  
"Hoshi isn't my son," Kuroiami said. "He's yours."  
  
Suddenly, Sailormercury went pale.  
  
"But--that's impossible..."  
  
"Quite the contrary," Kuroiami said, "Hoshi is your son--or rather, he is the son that you will have in the future. After I came to power in this world, I realized that I had no real enemies; there was no one in the world to challenge me, and I realized I would go mad without a worthy adversary. So I learned the spells necessary to leave this dimension and search for that adversary elsewhere. That was how I first became aware of you.  
  
"But--to my chagrin--you were not powerful like me. You had the means to be powerful, but none of the will to use that power. Indeed--as I watched you, kind to all, loved by all--I came to loathe you. Or more correctly, I came to despise you. I could have killed you easily, it's true, but simply killing you was not enough. Instead, I wanted to make you suffer; I wanted to make you suffer agony so wrenching that it would be burned into your peace-loving, idealistic heart forever.  
  
"So I travelled into your future and I found your infant child, Hoshi. Spiriting him away from his home, I returned him to this dimension, where I took a special delight in teaching him the ways of torture, destruction and evil. In the end, though, this exercise has served only one real purpose: so that I might see the ineffable sadness on your face when Hoshi dies before your eyes."  
  
Just then, as if on cue, a colossal explosion lit the sky, and Sailormercury knew that the barrier of the Black Senshi had collapsed. Then--a moment later--Mugen Palace began to sway, ever so slowly...  
  
Then the building collapsed. 100,000 tons of concrete, glass and steel fell into itself, and a cloud of dust exploded outward. Too stunned to move or even shield herself, Sailormercury could only gape in horror as the wave swept across her, like a hot wind of death from Hell itself.  
  
"NOOOOO--!!!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
In the year A.D. 3055 of the old Christian calendar, Neo-Queen Serenity led a party of her closest friends and family to a wind-swept plain in eastern Russia. There--standing before a huge dome of concrete holding spent nuclear fuel rods and reactor cores--the queen invoked the power of her ginzuishou one last time to purify the Earth, then died.  
  
"Your Majesty!" Princess Mercury cried, running forward to scan the queen with her minicomputer.  
  
"How is she, Mercury?" Princess Venus asked.  
  
"I'm sorry," Mercury said; "the queen is dead."  
  
"Mama!" cried Princess Serenity, throwing herself on the queen's body. "Mama, you can't be dead!"  
  
Even as the King Endymion, Princess Serenity and planetary court gathered around the queen, though, they didn't realize that the queen's spirit was still nearby. Like a person waking from a long sleep, the queen looked down upon her dead body first with curious detachment, then a poignant sense of loss and sadness.  
  
Oh my goodness, Usagi thought; I'm dead! I'm really dead!  
  
"You sound surprised," a woman's voice said. "Didn't you realize this would happen?"  
  
Turning around, Usagi was startled by the source of the voice.  
  
"Queen Beryl! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, I'm dead, of course, just like you."  
  
Usagi frowned, crossing her arms.  
  
"Well, I never have thought we'd go to the same place!"  
  
"Hell, you mean?"  
  
Beryl chuckled.  
  
"We're all the same in death, Usagi. The only Hell is the life we live on Earth, if we choose to live in hate and cause suffering and pain for others. I lived in such a Hell once, but you freed me from that place."  
  
Usagi looked at Beryl skeptically.  
  
"Why am I having trouble believing you?"  
  
"Oh, it doesn't matter whether you believe me or not; the truth is that I asked to come here and guide you, after you finally met your end. I feel very close to you--and not just because you stole away my love."  
  
Usagi tensed warily.  
  
"It's true," Beryl said, moving forward with a gentle expression on her face. "We both loved Endymion, but now I understand that his heart belonged to you and you alone. I'm truly happy you had so many years together in peace and happiness. And, of course, it pleases me to know that you left your beautiful daughter behind to carry on your legacy."  
  
"I don't understand," Usagi said, suddenly crying uncontrollably. "Why are you being so nice to me? You tried to kill me once! You nearly killed all of us!"  
  
"So much the better that I'm here then," Beryl said, reaching out to embrace Usagi. "I have much to atone for."  
  
Usagi was too surprised to speak; she was just glad to have someone there to comfort her. And how strange it was, that Beryl seemed so much like an old, old friend.  
  
"Actually, though," Beryl said, after a moment, "there is an important choice you have to consider, and that's one reason why I'm here. You see, there is another world waiting for you..."  
  
Beryl made a sweeping gesture, and Usagi beheld a tunnel of light stretching off to eternity.  
  
"...but you can't leave for that world until you're ready. You left a great many things unfinished in this world, and your attachment to this world is still very strong. Unless you're truly ready to leave, you may find that your Hell is on the Other Side, as you dwell on what might have been."  
  
Usagi was confused.  
  
"I didn't think it would be this hard. I thought we just died, and that was that."  
  
"Well," Beryl said, "it usually is. But you chose to use the ginzuishou, fully knowing it would kill you. In a sense, you did kill yourself, and therefore your soul will not rest easily."  
  
"Oh my, I didn't realize...  
  
"Is it bad? Will Endymion and Chibi-Usa suffer because of what I did...?"  
  
Beryl smiled gently.  
  
"Not necessarily; what was meant to be will be. All that matters is whether you can accept the consequences of your actions."  
  
"I...don't know. I do love Endymion very much...  
  
"Is there any chance I could wait a while, and see how I feel later?"  
  
"But of course. Take all the time you need, Usagi."  
  
* * * * *  
  
At first, Usagi thought Beryl might be overly concerned about nothing. In the days after Neo-Queen Serenity died, her old friends came together in a spirit of love and camaraderie, and it warmed Usagi's heart to hear them tell old stories about her--the way she used to be such a clumsy ditz in school, and even her own brother couldn't believe such an idiot was actually Sailor Moon. And it warmed Usagi's heart further to see her daughter crowned as queen, before all the people of Crystal Tokyo.  
  
My daughter, Usagi thought, hovering about the new queen like a gentle breeze, how beautiful you are, and how I love you!  
  
Usagi was more than a little shocked, though, when Princess Mercury met King Endymion in a side hallway of the palace, and the two of them kissed like old lovers! Usagi was heartbroken.  
  
No, Usagi thought, resolving not to be angry, no, I must not be angry at them! These are my dearest friends, who fought for me, and stood by my side through every crisis; is it so unnatural that Ami would love Mamoru? Could it be it was always this way, and I was just too blind to see?  
  
Fleeing the palace--unseen, of course, by anyone there--Usagi flew into the forests of the newly-green Earth she had given her life to purify. There, in places no human eye had seen in centuries, Usagi cried and cried, until finally she could cry no more.  
  
I can't hate these people, Usagi thought; gentle Ami--she was always like a sister to me. There was nothing I could ask that she wouldn't do for me; and Mamoru, who loved me always, even when I doubted him.  
  
It's just...  
  
"Difficult?" Beryl asked, completing Usagi's thought.  
  
"Oh, Beryl," Usagi said. "I never realized...  
  
"Did they always love each other?"  
  
Beryl didn't answer.  
  
"Or does it matter?" Usagi asked, completing her own question. "They were always so kind to me, and even now I listen to them talk about me, with love and tenderness in their voices. So why I am sad about this? Why can't I let this go?"  
  
"Perhaps you don't have to," Beryl said. "Perhaps it is enough to know the truth, and be honest with your feelings."  
  
"I guess that's true," Usagi said, crying once again; "I know Ami would...always take care of my Mamoru!"  
  
"There, there," Beryl said, holding Usagi. "You always were a crybaby, weren't you?"  
  
Usagi sniffled.  
  
"I thought you were supposed to be on my side."  
  
"I'm just kidding, Usagi-chan. Do you think you want to stay here longer, or do you think it's time to go? I understand they have quite a wedding planned..."  
  
"No, it's all right. I think it's time to go."  
  
"Very well," Beryl said, taking Usagi's hand. "Look now, into the sky."  
  
Once again, the tunnel of light appeared, but this time Usagi didn't fight the light. She felt it pulling her, even as Beryl stayed beside her.  
  
"You know, I was just thinking," Usagi said to Beryl; "Ami told me once your name means 'brilliance'. I thought it was strange, that you should have such a beautiful name..."  
  
"Usagi, you seem pensive; is something the matter?"  
  
"I was just thinking," Usagi said, "I never told Ami good-bye. Is there some way..."  
  
"To contact her...?"  
  
Beryl gave Usagi a stern look.  
  
"Usagi, you should know that we pay a price for death. We leave that world behind."  
  
"But, Beryl, please...is there a way?"  
  
Beryl frowned, looking very upset, then finally gave Usagi a smile.  
  
"Well, there is a way," Beryl said. "I'm not supposed to tell you, but--if you really really want to, and there's something you still have to say--you can go back."  
  
"Oh, thank you, Beryl--!"  
  
"But be warned, Usagi. Ami knows you're dead; you could frighten her if you aren't careful--and you could be trapped as a ghost in this world forever, if this was not meant to be."  
  
Usagi thought about it for a moment, then shook her head.  
  
"I understand. But...I still need to go."  
  
"Very well, then," Beryl said. "If you must, then go quickly. I will wait for your return."  
  
Usagi smiled, looking up at Beryl now, as she felt herself falling back from the tunnel of light. The last thing she remembered was Beryl surrounded by a halo of light--the very brilliance of Heaven...  
  
* * * * *  
  
...then there was dust, like a sandstorm of concrete.  
  
"What in the world--? Ami--?"  
  
Despite the sudden storm of dust and debris she found herself in, Usagi wasn't so disoriented that she didn't see she was draped over the shoulder of a blue-haired girl that could only be Ami. But where was she, and what in the world was happening?  
  
Curiously, Ami was dressed very oddly, in a black costume that looked very much like Sailormercury's fuku, only black and crisscrossed with band-like cords. It was weird enough to freak Usagi out, and-half-purposefully and half-accidentally, she kicked Ami right in the gut.  
  
"OOF!"  
  
Mighty though she was, Kuroiami was caught off guard and crumpled to the ground.  
  
"Usagi!" Sailormercury yelled, coming forward to grab her friend.  
  
"Oh, you're tricky bitches," Kuroiami gasped, grabbing hold of another Usagi she had dropped when she fell. "But no matter; one Usagi and one ginzuishou are more than sufficient for what I have planned. Until we meet again, I shall consider this another draw."  
  
Then-abruptly--Kuroiami vanished.  
  
"Mercury," Usagi said--only just then noticing her white gown, and the silver crystal in her hand, "what the hell is going on here? I was dead--I was going to Heaven--then..."  
  
"Oh, Usagi," Sailormercury said, embracing her friend, "I'm sorry you had to go through that! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you! I'm sorry...!"  
  
Usagi frowned, still mightily confused by the whole situation. But then a memory came back to her--of visiting Ami's apartment to study, then meeting a strange blue-haired woman and blue-haired boy...   
  
"I've been dreaming, haven't I? I was in some kind of trance."  
  
"Yes," Sailormercury said tearfully. "But you're okay now."  
  
"So where are we, Ami? And who was that lady? And why were there two of me...?!"  
  
Sailormercury tried to laugh, but it actually came out as a choking sob. With dust from Mugen Palace still swirling around, she looked around for some kind of shelter--some place she could talk to Usagi--then found it in a small tool shed nearby on the grass. She led Usagi there, then collapsed on the floor and de-transformed back into Ami.  
  
"I'm sorry, Usagi," Ami said, finally succumbing to exhaustion. "I'm just a little out of it right now. You see, I just watched my son die..." 


	7. Night and Sunrise

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.)  
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
With a terrible groaning sound, Mugen Palace trembled, shuddered, then collapsed in a cloud of dust. It was almost completely pitch-black afterward; Kuroiami had seen to it that few electric power lines still ran through central Tokyo. But a supernatural light did shine from four Outer Senshi still standing before the ruins--a light that cast a pale glow on the bodies of the three Black Senshi now lying prone before them, blasted beyond consciousness.  
  
Sailorpluto, Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune--who'd been running for their lives just minutes before--were not disposed to be sympathetic to their enemies; with the sudden appearance of Sailorsaturn, the tables had been turned on Kuroiami and her Black Senshi, and all four of the Outer Senshi strode forward to make certain of their victory once the palace fell.  
  
Even as she stepped forward, though, Sailorsaturn felt something peculiar underneath one of her boots and paused to see what it was. Drawing back her foot, she saw it was a black chess piece--a queen specifically--apparently thrown from the building when it fell.  
  
The piece in and of itself was trivial, yet something compelled Sailorsaturn to kneel down, pick up the queen and study it in one gloved hand. It was then, as she looked at the queen's stern face, that a strangely familiar voice spoke to her.  
  
Sailorsaturn, the voice said, your work here is done. Return to me.  
  
"Who are you?" Sailorsaturn asked.  
  
I am your mother. I am she who bore you.  
  
Sailorsaturn frowned, but nodded.  
  
"What is it, Saturn?" Sailorpluto asked, only then noticing that Sailorsaturn was not in step with the other Senshi. Sailorsaturn didn't respond or reply, however; she merely dropped the queen, looked to the east and leapt away from her companions.  
  
"Saturn!"  
  
"What is it, Pluto?" Sailoruranus asked, turning around.  
  
"Sailorsaturn is gone," Sailorpluto replied; "she left without saying a word."  
  
"She never was really one of us," Sailorneptune said; "even in the Moon Kingdom, Saturn followed her own path."  
  
"Perhaps," Sailorpluto said. "But I sense something more foreboding here; we know that Hotaru was killed by Kuroiami, yet there she stood before us. I fear our situation is only become more complex…"  
  
* * * * *  
  
After Mugen Palace fell, Ami was too stunned to know how to react. Huddled in a tool shed with Usagi, Ami stared into the storm of dust with a feeling of utter hopelessness in her heart.  
  
"Ami-chan," Usagi said, "what do you mean you just watched your son die?"  
  
"Hoshi…" Ami cried; "Hoshi was in there…"  
  
Usagi was confused for a moment.  
  
"Hoshi? You mean the blue-haired boy?"  
  
Ami sobbed, nodding her head.  
  
More minutes passed, with the dust from Mugen slowly spreading out to cover everything in sight, blacking out what little light remained in the area.  
  
"Ami-chan," Usagi said, "it may not be safe to stay here…"  
  
Ami didn't comment, but neither did she protest when Usagi lifted her up to her feet and guided her out of the shed. For Usagi--who had just spent what seemed like months in a dream world--it was strange and surreal to find herself treading on rubble with her slippered feet, choking on dust and dragging the hem of her white royal gown over all manner of debris; but it was stranger still to realize this was not a dream.  
  
In fact, Usagi didn't grasp exactly where she was, or what was happening, until later. Her first priority was just getting Ami and herself out of immediate danger; thus, she staggered blindly away from Mugen Palace until they came to a bridge, then made her way across the bridge to a cluster of battered warehouses marking the southernmost edge of Minato-ku. It was only then, as the dust cleared somewhat, that Usagi realized she was back in Tokyo.  
  
"Oh my god…" Usagi gasped, looking east across the bay and spotting the lights of the Port of Tokyo--a portion of the city not blacked out by Kuroiami. That much was familiar to her, but even she had never seen Minato-ku as absolutely dark as it was now, even after an earthquake.  
  
"Ami…what is this place?"  
  
"This is Tokyo," Ami said, managing a feeble smile. "But not *our* Tokyo; we were brought here by Kuroiami."  
  
"That lady with the blue hair?"  
  
Ami nodded.  
  
"And you mentioned you had a son here?"  
  
Ami started crying, and Usagi instinctively moved to comfort her, even though she could barely see her in the darkness.  
  
"I'm sorry," Usagi said, holding Ami; "it's just…a lot to understand all at once…"  
  
Just then, though--when Usagi thought the situation couldn't get any stranger--she was shocked to hear a familiar voice coming out of the darkness.  
  
"Konbanwa, Usagi-chan," Luna said.  
  
"Luna…?"  
  
"Not *your* Luna, I'm afraid," the black cat said, stepping forward, "but a friend, nonetheless. Your friend has had a very hard day, and she needs to rest now. Won't you follow me?"  
  
"I can barely see you," Usagi admitted, trying to pick out the black cat in the dark.  
  
"I thought of that," Luna replied, picking up a small penlight she'd been carrying before, and placing it at Usagi's feet. "That will help you see a little better."  
  
Usagi stooped down to pick up the penlight, and was surprised by the brightness of the beam. Casting the beam around, she was half-relieved and half-alarmed to see that she, Ami and Luna were all alone there; it was only then that Usagi realized how damaged all the buildings nearby were, as if a colossal battle had been fought in the area, and the damage was never repaired.  
  
"We must move quickly, though," Luna said; "the Black Senshi have been beaten, and Kuroiami has fled, but her army still controls the city. It's best we not be caught in the open."  
  
Usagi glanced at Ami, and Ami--after a moment's reflection--nodded her head. Ami well remembered how Kuroiami had disguised herself as Luna before, but under the circumstances, Ami doubted that Kuroiami would attempt such a gambit again; not with the Outer Senshi hot on her trail and keen for revenge.  
  
"All right, Luna," Usagi said, still holding Ami. "Let's go…wherever we're going."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Meanwhile, not more than 500 meters to the north, Sailorsaturn was just walking into the half-collapsed shell of a warehouse near the Tokyo Docks. There was no power here either, but a lone woman with long red hair was sitting at a small desk in the middle of the warehouse, illuminated by the glow from a laptop computer screen. The woman looked up from her computer as soon as Sailorsaturn arrived.  
  
"Mother," Sailorsaturn said. "Why have you summoned me?"  
  
Rising from her chair, Kaorinite beamed with pride; she half-expected Sailorsaturn to have forgotten her--since Kaorinite had only been with her briefly when she was born--but Sailorsaturn was obviously a very perceptive being.  
  
"I will tell you," Kaorinite said, picking up a short black dress and Mary Jane shoes from her desk; "but first, you might want to transform and put these on. I need your energy for something more productive than maintaining your Senshi identity."  
  
Sailorsaturn acknowledged Kaorinite's request by de-transforming, appearing not the least bit embarrassed to be left standing there naked in the middle of the dark warehouse. But neither did she resist Kaorinite when she moved to dress her, for the sake of modesty.  
  
"Don't you look charming!" Kaorinite said afterward, beaming at Hotaru as she stepped back to have a look at her. "But tell me, who are you?"  
  
"I am Mistress Nine, the Sovereign of Silence, Gatekeeper of the Destroyer."  
  
"Very good," Kaorinite said, smiling at Hotaru and guiding her forward into the middle of the warehouse floor, "your father would be so proud. But now let me tell you why I've brought you here…  
  
"Years ago, before our power was checked by the villain Kuroiami, a subordinate of mine was close to finding the location of the Holy Grail. But unfortunately, Mimete killed Eudial before she could tell us where she archived the data; after Kuroiami defeated us, I spent years trying to figure out where Eudial archived the data, but so far I've only narrowed it down to this…"  
  
Kaorinite gestured toward the mountain of crates and boxes before them.   
  
"It's somewhere in there, in the records annex of Mugen Gakuen."  
  
Hotaru looked around at the pile thoughtfully for a moment, then lifted her hands and placed them together before her face as she closed her eyes and concentrated. A moment later, a supernatural glow erupted from a point high up on the mountain of records.  
  
"There," Hotaru said, pointing toward the light.  
  
Kaorinite nodded, and promptly began crawling up the pile heedless of the fact that her own short black dress and high heels weren't ideal for climbing. But her only thought was on the glowing light before her, which proved to be coming from an otherwise anonymous packing crate almost completely buried amongst other anonymous boxes full of old paper records and floppy disks. She was there only a few seconds, digging through the records, before she narrowed the source of the light down to a single storage disk.  
  
"Here it is," Kaorinite said, scrambling back down the pile to the floor of the warehouse, then taking the disk over to her own computer. Hotaru--now much more animated than before--moved over to join Kaorinite as the latter accessed Eudial's records.  
  
"Well, what do you know about that," Kaorinite exclaimed. "The pure hearts were under our noses the whole time!"  
  
"The Outer Senshi," Hotaru said. "They carry the pure hearts which will summon the talismans, and the talismans will summon the Holy Grail."  
  
"Indeed," Kaorinite said, looking up at Hotaru with a broad smile. "Soon, we shall have revenge for your father."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Shortly after they started walking, Ami recovered her equilibrium and let Usagi know she didn't need her support to keep going. The two girls did continue to hold hands, though, so they wouldn't become separated following Luna through the dark streets of Minato-ku.  
  
Luckily for the group, a full moon rose shortly thereafter, and that--together with their improving night vision--let them navigate more quickly through the city. To Ami's surprise, though, their ultimate destination was the last place she expected to see anytime soon--the Tsukino home in central Juuban. The house was all dark, of course, but otherwise it appeared to be in remarkably good shape compared to the smashed and burned-out buildings nearby.  
  
"Is this…my home?" Usagi asked, entering the kitchen door behind Luna and Ami.  
  
"In a manner of speaking," Luna said, hopping onto a kitchen counter. "This was our Usagi's home, before she was captured by Kuroiami."  
  
"It seems awfully dingy…"  
  
"Well, it's probably been abandoned for years," Ami conjectured. "You need to remember, Usagi-chan, the current date here is the year 2000, three years ahead of our world. And the Sailormoon in this world was defeated six years ago."  
  
Ami then turned to Luna, who was only a vague shape in the moonlight.  
  
"Are you sure it's wise to be here, though? Surely, Kuroiami's troops would know Usagi lived here."  
  
"That's true," Luna admitted, "but Kuroiami's troops believe the Outers went north to hide out. Plus those troops don't like being too close to Mugen Palace--which is actually just 2 kilometers south of here."  
  
Ami nodded, well aware of Kuroiami's capacity for inducing terror among friend and foe alike.  
  
Usagi, meanwhile, had wandered into the living room, awestruck by the vision of a home clearly familiar, yet also clearly abandoned by its family. The house was full of things she remembered, couches, chairs, pictures, the television…yet the broken windows, dirt and dust suggested the old owners were long gone.   
  
If this was my home, Usagi thought, then I must have had a bedroom here…  
  
So thinking, Usagi then climbed up the stairs to her room--hearing the boards creak beneath her slippers as she did so--and felt her heart beating suddenly fast as her room came into sight. She had a sense of a presence there, like a ghost, and she almost fainted when she felt something tug on the back of her dress. It was only a nail that had snagged the hem of her dress, however, and she moved on with relief after freeing herself.  
  
My things are still here, Usagi thought, looking around at 'her' room in the moonlight. On her bed, she immediately recognized a moth-eaten bedspread sporting crescent moons and bunnies, and on her desk was a picture of herself and Mamoru that might have been taken just yesterday, except for the dust that lay thick on the glass and frame.  
  
I wonder… Usagi thought; did Chibi-Usa live here too…?  
  
When Usagi went to check the room where Chibi-Usa normally lived, though, there was no sign that anyone had ever lived there.  
  
"Oh no," Usagi gasped out loud, "was she killed…?"  
  
"Actually, no," Ami said--startling Usagi by appearing behind her in the dark. "Chibi-Usa doesn't exist in this world."  
  
"But how is that possible? I saw a picture of Mamoru and…well, me..."  
  
"Apparently, Kuroiami changed history in this world, in such a way that Chibi-Usa was never born. Indeed, the entire future of this world may be different from the world we know."  
  
"Ami-chan, this is terrible! Who would do such a thing?"  
  
"Apparently, I did. Or rather, my alter-ego in this world."  
  
"Kuroiami?"  
  
"Yes; evidently, Queen Metallia took control of Princess Mercury during the days of the Moon Kingdom, and groomed her as a replacement for Queen Beryl. And it seems to have been a wise choice, since Kuroiami defeated Metallia's foes and now reigns over all the Earth with Beryl's generals and the Black Senshi as her minions…  
  
"Or at least she did, until tonight; I honestly don't know where she is now, but like Luna said, Kuroiami's army is still a danger to us. Virtually the entire world was loyal to her--including all its armies and police forces--so we have almost no friends in this world, except the Outer Senshi."  
  
"Luna did call this a 'safe house'," Usagi said. "Is this where the Outer Senshi live?"  
  
"Yes. She told me they just moved in here today. I was separated from them after Kuroiami captured me, so I don't know exactly where the Outer Senshi were yesterday."  
  
"Did Kuroiami torture you?" Usagi asked (admittedly intrigued by the thought of an evil version of Ami--who was only the nicest person Usagi had ever met).  
  
"No…not unless you call playing chess 'torture'."  
  
"Well, I would," Usagi admitted.  
  
Ami smiled, putting an arm around Usagi.  
  
"Why don't you come back downstairs, Usagi? Luna says it's not safe to stay upstairs, where you might be spotted."  
  
"All right," Usagi said, "but just one thing. You said you had a son…?"  
  
"Actually, I still don't understand that myself. Kuroiami claimed that she went into my future, took my child away from me, then raised him as her own just to spite me. You weren't there, but she let Hoshi die before my eyes, just before you returned."  
  
Usagi looked at Ami sympathetically--astonished to think of Ami as a mother. And yet, what was more natural than the thought of Ami as a mother, kind and thoughtful as she was? If Ami was Hoshi's mother, Usagi was certain he had been blessed to have such a parent.  
  
"Oh, Ami-chan, I'm so sorry…"  
  
Usagi paused a moment.  
  
"But if he was your son, do you happen to know…"  
  
"Who the father was? No."  
  
* * * * *  
  
After Usagi and Ami returned to the ground floor, Luna confirmed what Ami had already told her about Kuroiami--although it was only then that Ami realized she had first heard the story from Kuroiami when Kuroiami was disguised as Luna. That Kuroiami had told Ami the truth about herself was unexpected, but then Kuroiami had treated Ami with unusual deference. Apart from the cruelty of letting Hoshi die right before Ami's eyes, Kuroiami had indeed treated Ami with considerable hospitality.  
  
Like a worthy rival, Ami thought; but how she twisted the knife in my heart!  
  
Since there were no utilities going into the house, Luna also showed Usagi and Ami the sanitary arrangements they had rigged up in the main bathroom--including an apparatus for purifying water. Usagi was horrified at first that there wasn't enough water for a bath or a shower, but she was somewhat mollified when Ami reminded her that she hadn't had a bath for more than two days herself.  
  
"I'm sorry," Usagi said, sitting on a couch opposite Ami and Luna in the living room; "I guess I got spoiled living in the palace."  
  
"In your dream, you mean?" Luna asked.  
  
"Yes. I dreamt that I was my future self--Neo-Queen Serenity--in Crystal Tokyo of the future. Then I died and found out that Queen Beryl was actually my friend, although I was a little sad when…"  
  
"What, Usagi-chan?" Ami asked.  
  
"Well, I found out you were having an affair with Mamo-chan, after I died."  
  
"Oh my!" Ami gasped, covering her mouth in surprise.  
  
"It was only a dream world," Luna said to Ami, "created by Kuroiami to keep both Usagis in a trance. And, doubtless, the detail about Ami was design to sow mistrust between the two of you…  
  
"Still, I would like to see this 'Crystal Tokyo' you speak of. For so long, I have feared that our world has no future, but today I saw that Kuroiami could be beaten. Perhaps this is a sign that we have a future after all."  
  
"I hope so," Usagi said, encouragingly. "But in the meantime, is there any place we can actually sleep here…?"  
  
"Oh yes; you two can stay in the master bedroom, and I'll let the Outer Senshi know you're here when they return."  
  
"The master bedroom?" Usagi said. "But that was my parents' room…"  
  
"I'm sure they won't mind," Luna said, guiding the two girls to the bedroom.  
  
"Don't the Outer Senshi sleep in this room?" Ami asked, when she saw the enormous queen-size bed.  
  
"Just Setsuna," Luna said; "Haruka and Michiru think it's too 'comfortable'. But I'm sure Setsuna won't mind letting you stay here tonight…especially since it's Usagi's own house."  
  
"What…happened to Usagi's parents?" Ami asked.  
  
"Actually, we're not sure," Luna admitted. "We don't think they died, though; the rumor is they escaped to Canada, and they're still living over there today."  
  
"That's a relief," Usagi said; "I'd probably get in a lot of trouble if I stayed in their room without telling them…  
  
"But what about Ami's parents? Do you know about them?"  
  
"Kuroiami's mother was killed during the battle with the Death Busters," Luna said. "She was looking after the wounded near the docks when a building fell on her. Her father, we don't know."   
  
Ami sighed; she could easily imagine her own mother doing exactly the same thing, if a similar crisis occurred in her own world.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Ami-chan," Usagi said--misinterpreting Ami's look of sadness. "But at least we have a nice bed to sleep on, if nothing else."  
  
Usagi then impetuously flopped onto her parents' bed--which promptly broke and smashed to the floor as the rickety bed frame collapsed underneath her.  
  
"Usagi-chan, be *careful*!" Ami said--half-expecting a sniper to start blasting away through the nearest window.  
  
"Gomen nasai!," Usagi said, turning pink with embarrassment.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Despite herself, Usagi couldn't help but feel safe in her 'own' home; although she'd seen the shattered city outside, and personally encountered the tyrant Kuroiami--whose very name was synonymous with 'terror'--that cold reality seemed very remote when she was sitting in her parents' big bed with one of her best friends, getting ready for bed. Indeed, she found that some of the clothes in her upstairs bedroom--though a bit dusty and moth-eaten--were still fit to wear, including a pair of bunny pajamas that were a lot more comfortable than her princess gown. Luna--for her part--tried to impress upon Usagi the importance of wearing practical clothes like Ami's school uniform (in case they had to leave in a hurry), but Usagi was already asleep beneath a surprisingly well-preserved blanket by the time Luna made the attempt.  
  
"Oh, let her rest," Ami said, lying next to Usagi. "She's had a hard day."  
  
Luna would have reminded Ami that Ami's own day had been just as hard as Usagi's, but she let the girls get to sleep without further comment. In the event, though, Ami found it nearly impossible to sleep; lying in the moonlit room, her heart was torn between the joy of Usagi's return, and the heartbreak of Hoshi's loss.  
  
Why should this be so hard? Ami thought; I hardly knew Hoshi, and I only have Kuroiami's word that he was actually my son. She could have lied; it would certainly be in her character…  
  
But I know she was truthful! I know in my heart, that boy was my son!  
  
But if that's true, it means I have a future life I can't even begin to imagine. For this to have happened, I had to meet someone, fall in love (I assume), have a baby…then lose him again in the future all over again, just like I lost him today!  
  
Dwelling on this, Ami cried, and she didn't actually fall asleep until the first glow of dawn showed on the horizon. Then--almost immediately, it seemed--she awoke to the sound of soft conversation elsewhere in the house; the Outer Senshi had returned.  
  
Usagi was happily oblivious, snoring away on the bed, but Ami moved toward the bedroom door to hear what the Outer Senshi and Luna were saying.  
  
"…Haruka, let me get this right; Sailorsaturn--whom we know is dead--came back to life and saved you?"  
  
"Well, she looked alive enough to me, Luna. And she definitely helped us demolish Mugen Palace. But now she's vanished again. We searched all night for her, but we couldn't find any trace of her."  
  
"How peculiar. And what of the Black Senshi?"  
  
"They're dead. We made certain of that."  
  
Ami felt a chill run through her heart; dangerous though the Black Senshi were, they were the counterparts of Ami's own friends in her own world. She could only guess how devastated the Usagi of this world--if she were ever freed from Kuroiami's spell--would be when she heard this news.  
  
Ami's eavedropping was interrupted, however, by the waking of Usagi behind her.  
  
"Ami-chan; what's up?"  
  
"I think the Outers have returned," Ami said.  
  
"Well, let's go meet them," Usagi said, hopping out of bed and slipping on her slippers.  
  
Ami shook her head at Usagi's enthusiasm, but followed her out to the kitchen where Luna and the Outers were speaking.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Odango Atama," Haruka said. "And Ami-san. Ohaiyo gozaimasu, Ami-san."  
  
"Well," said Usagi (who actually hadn't undone her odango), "it's nice to see you too."  
  
"It's a force of habit for Haruka," Michiru said, smiling at Usagi and Ami. "It's very nice to see you both. We feared for you, when the palace fell."  
  
"Indeed," Setsuna said. "But a decisive blow has been struck against Kuroiami. As we were telling Luna, Sailorsaturn appeared before us, and helped us to overcome Kuroiami's forces."  
  
"Sailorsaturn is here?" Usagi asked.  
  
"No. She disappeared under mysterious circumstances."  
  
"What of Kuroiami's troops?" Ami asked--noting that the Outer Senshi were back to their fatigue uniforms.  
  
"We were worried about that ourselves," Haruka admitted. "But that's the damnedest thing; we encountered a patrol in Shinagawa, but they didn't do anything at all--except suggest we should get along home for our own safety."  
  
"Right," Michiru said; "and we actually saw city crews out this morning working on power lines and other utilities. There's even a radio station back on the air already--which was never allowed during Kuroiami's reign; it's almost like the city is waking up after a long sleep…"  
  
"But Kuroiami wasn't killed," Ami observed. "Is it possible she's just hiding out somewhere?"  
  
"I don't know," Luna said. "But she is full of surprises. Somehow, I fear we aren't out of danger yet." 


	8. Four Generals and a Baby

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.  
  
Once again, I would like to thank everyone who's offered opinions on this story so far; it's always nice to know what people like or don't like. In response to a specific question from Kaiya, Usagi and Ami have already encountered Mistress Nine in their own world; so it probably won't be a complete shock to them when they run into that side of Hotaru again in Kuroiami's world.)  
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
For General Zoisite, the order to evacuate the Earth was both jarring and unexpected. The general had been asleep in his penthouse apartment in Singapore when a magical image of Kuroiami suddenly appeared before him, and summoned him to join her on the Moon.  
  
"But why?" Zoisite asked. "What has happened?"  
  
"Yours is not to question," Kuroiami replied. "Yours is to obey."  
  
"Yes, my queen."  
  
Dressing quickly--in his general's uniform instead of his customary business suit--Zoisite wondered what could possibly have happened. Zoisite's Southeast Asian Economic Zone had been leading the world in economic productivity (outpacing Kunzite's Euroasian Zone, Nephrite's American Zone, and Jadeite's African Zone), and Kuroiami had intimated that she would marry Zoisite just as soon as she eliminated the last of the Sailor Senshi and consolidated control over Japan.  
  
But a disaster in Japan was clear enough to see when Zoisite turned on the TV news. There he heard that Kuroiami's Mugen Palace in Tokyo had just been flattened by a 'mysterious explosion'. Clearly, the Outer Senshi were not quite as impotent as Kuroiami had boasted they were.  
  
Naturally, Zoisite's first impulse was to strike back at the Senshi; for even after years as a global administrator, Zoisite hadn't forgotten how to fight. But Kuroiami was infinitely cunning, and Zoisite realized he would only invite her wrath if he deviated from her wishes. Thus, summoning his own ancient magic, Zoisite first hid his apartment with a cloaking spell so no ordinary mortal could find it, then teleported himself to the ancient palace of Queen Serenity on the Moon--Kuroiami's new capital.  
  
5 years earlier, Kuroiami and her generals had briefly used the Lunar Palace in the Sea of Serenity as their base before consolidating control of the Earth, and therefore Zoisite wasn't surprised to find the palace in good repair, illuminated with magical light and sustaining a breathable atmosphere. But he was surprised to find Kunzite, Nephrite and Jadeite already there ahead of him, chatting amongst themselves as they waited for Kuroiami in the palace throne room.  
  
"Ah Zoisite," Jadeite said; "late as usual."  
  
"I came as soon as I was summoned," Zoisite replied.  
  
"Then you must have been summoned last," Nephrite rejoined. "Clearly, you are losing favor with Her Majesty."  
  
"I'll have you know that Kuroiami has promised her hand in marriage!" Zoisite said angrily. "And unlike you, I haven't failed to meet her economic production targets!"  
  
To Zoisite's surprise, though, all three of his fellow generals chuckled at him--even Kunzite.  
  
"Oh, Zoisite," Kunzite said good-naturedly, patting his friend on the back, "Kuroiami-sama has promised to marry all of us, at one time or another."  
  
Zoisite looked at Kunzite incredulously.  
  
"But...Kuroiami and I were intimate!"  
  
Again the other generals exchanged knowing looks.  
  
"Oh well," Kunzite said, "you always were the naive one. Perhaps that's why she favored you as much as she did. But you weren't her *only* favorite."  
  
Zoisite slumped visibly--simultaneously embarrassed and crestfallen. Since Zoisite had been carrying on an affair of his own with Kunzite for years, he was hardly one to be shocked at Kuroiami's infidelity. But he had been looking forward to being King of the Earth--if only because of the pleasure he would derive from tormenting Jadeite and Nephrite.  
  
But then a familiar voice shook Zoisite from his reverie.  
  
"Poor Zoisite," Kuroiami said, "don't be sad. There's plenty of me to go around."  
  
Startled, Zoisite turned toward Kuroiami's voice--and was startled again when he saw how she looked.  
  
In a word, she looked sexy.  
  
The other generals saw it too, and were no less stunned than Zoisite. Flanked by a pair of female youma servants in flowing red gowns, Kuroiami was wearing a long black strapless gown that was all the more dramatic for its contrast with her pale white shoulders and her surprisingly plump and pale bosom. Then too, Zoisite couldn't help but notice a slit that ran up the left side of the gown all the way to her waist, exposing an equally pale leg and high-heeled black sandals that made Kuroiami (who was only 155 centimeters tall) look a good 15 centimeters taller.  
  
Indeed, Kuroiami's tiara was the only part of her traditional costume she was still wearing--though none of the generals actually noticed that at the moment. At the moment, it was all the generals could manage just to stop their gawking and attempt to show proper deference to their ruler.  
  
"Kuroiami-sama," the generals said, dropping to one knee before her.  
  
"Rise, my friends," Kuroiami said, click-clacking across the marble floor and into their midst. "I have a special project for you."  
  
"I volunteer," Zoisite said.  
  
Kuroiami chuckled.  
  
"General Zoisite, I haven't even told you what the project is."  
  
"But you said yourself that my East Asian Zone was the most productive area on Earth; therefore, I feel it's fitting that I should be chosen for any special project."  
  
"Zoisite," Jadeite said, "you're an idiot. What if she wants you to clean the toilets, or lick the dirt off the floors?"  
  
"Oh, don't be silly, Jadeite," Kuroiami said. "There's no filth in the Lunar Palace. This is a place full of love, purity and peace."  
  
Kunzite looked at Kuroiami suspiciously.  
  
"Your Highness," Kunzite said, "you don't seem quite yourself somehow..."  
  
Then it came to Kunzite what was odd about Kuroiami--Hoshi was missing. Ordinarily, he was never very far from his mother.  
  
"Is Hoshi all right?" Kunzite asked.  
  
"No," Kuroiami said, lowering her eyes to the floor. "He was killed, when Mugen Palace was destroyed."  
  
"Oh no!" Zoisite said, echoing the dismay of the other generals.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kunzite said.  
  
"It was those Sailor Senshi who did it!" Zoisite stormed. "I just know it! We must exact vengeance!"  
  
But Kuroiami's reaction was surprising; placing a hand alongside Zoisite's chin, she smiled at him teasingly.  
  
"And this ardor wouldn't be because you believed he was your son," Kuroiami said, "would it?"  
  
"But...wasn't he...?"  
  
Kuroiami laughed.  
  
"Sadly, no."  
  
"So he was mine, then," Kunzite surmised.  
  
"No, Kunzite," Kuroiami said, "he wasn't yours either. None of you fathered him--at least as far as I know. If you did, then you didn't do it with me, because Hoshi was not my son."  
  
"What do you mean?" Nephrite asked.  
  
"Hoshi was the son of my nemesis--the Mizuno Ami who came to visit me in Tokyo just a few days ago. Although she didn't know me before she came to this world, I knew her very well indeed. And I came to loathe that sanctimonious bitch with every fiber of my being--always so kind, so always so thoughtful, always so goddamn humble...  
  
"I wanted to make her suffer, and Hoshi was the perfect medium to let me accomplish that suffering. Killing Ami would have been ridiculously simple, but that wasn't enough for me; I wanted to make her suffer, as only a mother can suffer when she loses her child."  
  
"Wait a moment," Kunzite said; "am I to understand that Hoshi's entire existence served no other purpose except as a vehicle for vengeance?"  
  
"Not quite. It is true that Hoshi's physical form is dead, but it's also true that I did want a child of my own, to carry on my legacy and rule the galaxy in my place after my time here is done. That's why I raised Ami's baby from an infant as my own son, and why I preserved the essence of what he is...here."  
  
Kuroiami pointed to the blue Mercury crystal in her Sailor tiara.  
  
"He's in that crystal?" Zoisite asked.  
  
"The *essence* of what he was is in this crystal," Kuroiami replied, "but not the actual person. That's where you gentleman come in; I need your assistance to help me bring Hoshi back to life."  
  
Kuroiami then removed the Mercury crystal from her tiara, held the crystal in front of her belly, closed her eyes and concentrated. For a moment, Kuroiami glowed with a brilliant blue aura, then the crystal floated from her hands and entered into her abdomen. Kuroiami's eyes then shot open with surprise--briefly shattering her veneer of total control; but then a look of utter satisfaction settled upon her features, and she lifted her eyes to look once more at her generals.  
  
"The seed is planted in the garden," Kuroiami said. "Now it but needs to be watered, to grow."  
  
Zoisite--like Kunzite and Nephrite--was too stunned to reply.  
  
"And who would be gardener lucky enough to water this garden?" Jadeite asked.  
  
Kuroiami simply smiled, giving the generals a coy look.  
  
"I will need all of you," she said, "to water this garden."  
  
"All of us?" Nephrite asked.  
  
"All of you," Kuroiami repeated, taking a step toward the queen's bedchamber, then glancing over her shoulder and beckoning the generals to follow her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"King to Bishop 2."  
  
"Bishop to Rook 5. Check."  
  
Princess Kakyuu laughed and sighed, tipping over her white king.  
  
"I think you're still too much for me, Galaxia-sama."  
  
"Oh, you're too modest," Queen Galaxia said. "You played well, and gave me a scare there in the mid-game."  
  
"I should have developed my bishop sooner," Kakyuu admitted, studying her pieces. "You're always telling me I should focus more on developing all my pieces."  
  
"Perhaps. But I have been playing chess for more than 10,000 years; I may have a slight advantage in that respect."  
  
Again, Kakyuu laughed, amazed by Galaxia's modesty. The ruler of the Confraternity of Worlds--and effectively the Queen of the Galaxy--Galaxia was as beautiful as she was wise and powerful, a vision no less stunning than the fields of flowers outside Kakyuu's palace with her long red and golden hair, and her perfect face and figure. And yet she was always quite humble, with an air about her of infinite patience...and perhaps just a little sadness.   
  
"But perhaps you would like to play another game," Galaxia said. "I have so few opportunities to see you in person, I feel I should savor this opportunity."  
  
"Well..." Kakyuu said, turning the chessboard around on its turntable, "Kinmoku is a beautiful planet. Perhaps you should consider making this your home after you retire from ruling the galaxy."  
  
Galaxia smiled slightly, setting up her row of white pawns.  
  
"And perhaps you should consider my offer to come to the Sagittarius Castle, and be my prime minister," Galaxia replied.  
  
"Oh, you know I'm not qualified for a position like that. And besides, I could never leave Kinmoku."  
  
"How sad. Then it would seem that we'll have to continue our games via tachyon beam instead."  
  
"Unless you retire," Kakyuu said.  
  
"Or unless you come to Sagittarius," Galaxia replied.  
  
Both women laughed, and Galaxia moved her king pawn to start the next game. But before Kakyuu could respond with her own move, her most senior guardian suddenly entered the room with an urgent message for Galaxia.  
  
"Forgive me, Kakyuu-hime," Kou Seiya said, "but a priority message has just arrived for Galaxia-sama from the Solar System."  
  
"For me, you say?" Galaxia asked. "What did the message say?"  
  
"Queen Kuroiami of the Solar System is requesting your assistance in the matter of a local disturbance. She claims that insurgents have taken control of the planet Earth and driven her court to the planet's barren and lifeless moon."  
  
"That sounds very serious," Galaxia said, turning to Kakyuu. "But I don't recognize the name 'Kuroiami'. Is that name familiar to you?"  
  
"No," Kakyuu admitted. "If I recall, the Solar System was once the home of the fabled Moon Kingdom of Queen Serenity, but that was more than a thousand years ago."  
  
"Indeed," Galaxia said, turning back to Seiya. "If I may ask, do you know why the signal was sent here instead of directly to Sagittarius?"  
  
"Presumably, the transmitter lacked the power for a direct transmission," Seiya replied. "It is a remote system, and may be very primitive."  
  
Galaxia nodded her head thoughtfully.  
  
"Kakyuu-hime, under the circumstances, perhaps we should postpone our game until later."  
  
"Certainly, Your Majesty."  
  
"Kou-san, please send word to Queen Kuroiami that I will consider her request, and--if my schedule permits--I will visit her as soon as possible."   
  
Seiya nodded, and left to forward Galaxia's message.  
  
Galaxia, meanwhile, ventured to another part of Kakyuu's palace, where she found her senior advisors SailorChi and SailorPhi. These two ancient Senshi were, of course, famous throughout the galaxy for their fighting prowess, but Galaxia also depended upon them to keep her on schedule during her travels, since both had encyclopedic memories for the minutiae related to Galaxia's duties.  
  
"There should be time to permit a brief visit to the Solar System..." SailorChi said.  
  
"...before you carry on with your tour of the Perseus Arm..." SailorPhi added.  
  
"But we are concerned by the past history of this 'Solar System'..." SailorChi said.  
  
"...it is a history of chaos," SailorPhi added, "ever since the fall of Queen Serenity."  
  
"Well," Galaxia said, "where better to make ourselves useful, then? Aren't you always telling me you wish you had more adventure in your lives?"  
  
"Yes..." SailorChi answered.  
  
"...but we were being facetious," SailorPhi added.  
  
Galaxia chuckled slightly, turning her thoughts to the preparations she should make for a trip to Queen Kuroiami's court. But even as she was doing so, Seiya returned with another message.  
  
"Galaxia-sama," Seiya said, "you may wish to delay your trip to the Solar System, at least for a few days. Queen Kuroiami reports that she may be indisposed in the immediate future."  
  
"Indisposed?" Galaxia asked. "How so?"  
  
"Well, actually," Seiya said, "what she said is that she's going to be having a baby."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Kuroiami-sama," said the youma, "you should rest. A woman in your condition should probably be in bed."  
  
Dressed now in a black maternity dress (and sensible shoes), Kuroiami shook her head, dismissing the youma's concern. It was true she was now as big as a whale, with her fetus already nearly fully-grown inside her, but this was nothing she had not already anticipated. Just as she had planned Hoshi's death, she had planned to bring him back to life inside her womb--using magic to accelerate the otherwise tedious process of gestation. What Ami had lost, Kuroiami would claim as her own.  
  
"I assure you that I'm fine," Kuroiami said, standing before the tachyon transmitter controls of the Lunar Palace. "According to my calculations, the child won't be ready to emerge until..."  
  
But Kuroiami never finished that sentence; instead, she grunted with pain as her womb was struck by sudden and unexpectedly strong contractions.  
  
"Kuroiami-sami?" the youma asked. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Get...help...!" was all Kuroiami managed to gasp, before she staggered to her knees.  
  
The youma rushed to comply, but Kuroiami remembered very little of what happened immediately after that. There was pain--of an order and magnitude beyond anything she had ever experienced before--then a strange delirium as first her water broke, then an impossibly large baby emerged from inside her body.  
  
Later, she would remember the medical youma rushing into the transmission room to help her, and the four generals hurrying into the room as well--their faces registering an awestruck combination of disbelief and fear (the latter provoked by a stream of curses Kuroiami aimed in their direction, for getting her into this condition in the first place). Even as the child was born, though, a small portion of Kuroiami's mind remained lucid enough to heap scorn upon herself for her recent errors in judgment.  
  
How fitting, this child should be the death of me! I underestimated Sailorsaturn's power earlier, and now I underestimated how much this baby would grow after I cast a growth spell upon it...  
  
Kuso! I feel as if I'm being torn apart...!  
  
Then at last she passed out, convinced that the gaping mouth of Hell would soon be opening to take her in. But Kuroiami wouldn't die just yet. Some time later, she awoke in her own bed, attended by all four generals, her medical youma, and a teenage boy whom she did not recognize at first; but then she saw his blue hair, and her heart skipped a beat in disbelief.  
  
"Hoshi...?" Kuroiami gasped, lifting a hand toward the handsome young man, "is that you...?"  
  
The blue-haired boy nodded, and hurried to take Kuroiami's hand.  
  
"It is I, Mother."  
  
"But, how is this possible...?"  
  
Hoshi smiled, and spoke with a voice that staggered Kuroiami. She had guessed that her growth spell might cause Hoshi to return to her as a small boy, similar to his previous mortal form; but this Hoshi was clearly more than just a child.  
  
"I should think you used a little too much magic," Hoshi offered. "But if you rest now, the doctors assure us you should be up and around in a few days."  
  
"Hoshi," Kuroiami said, "do you hate me...for what I did to you?"  
  
"Hate you? Why would I hate you? You have given me life."  
  
"Arigatou," Kuroiami said, letting go of Hoshi's hand, then falling back to sleep.  
  
The four generals were still quite awake, though, and none of them were quite sure what to make of Hoshi (or 'Shin-Hoshi', as Zoisite had taken to calling him privately). After the events of the previous day, the generals had assumed that the fruit of Kuroiami's garden would take many months to grow inside her womb, just like any other child; and yet here he stood, very nearly a man despite the fact that he was less than a day old.  
  
For his own part, Zoisite appreciated the fact that Kuroiami was less fickle than Queen Beryl--their former master--but there were times when her behavior was downright strange. Just now, for example, why had she wanted Hoshi back so badly? After working so hard to raise him, then letting him die, was she seeking to punish herself somehow with the ordeal she'd just been through? Or did she simply want Shin-Hoshi to be entirely her own child in every sense, to complete the annihilation of his identity as Ami's child? Or was she up to something else entirely?  
  
*"Well, I don't know about you,"* Zoisite whispered to Kunzite, *"but I sure don't think he looks like any of us..."* 


	9. The Loved Ones

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.  
  
Just to quickly answer a question from suisei no mitsukai, the main reason Galaxia hasn't cared about Kuroiami yet is because--from a galactic perspective--Kuroiami is still a small-time villain, and Galaxia's government has many thousands of star systems to think about. Also, Galaxia wouldn't necessarily remove Kuroiami as the ruler of the Solar System just because Kuroiami isn't nice; since Galaxia isn't a dictator enforcing her will on the whole galaxy, she would be loath to depose of a local ruler unless that ruler were either grossly unfit to rule, or a danger to nearby civilizations. So far, Kuroiami hasn't really made life worse for most of the people on Earth--just the population of central Tokyo and the Sailor Senshi (whom she would characterize as troublemaking criminals out to usurp her lawful rule).  
  
Of course, in the actual manga and anime, Galaxia is very interested in the Solar System because she wants the star seeds there--especially Sailormoon's star seed--but my 'good' Galaxia would only know the Solar System as one among thousands of star systems with Sailor Senshi. Even in this world, Sailormoon (and her star seed) are tremendously important, but my Galaxia--who has no interest in exerting personal dominion over the galaxy--has had much less incentive to learn about Sailormoon's star seed since she hasn't yet needed Sailormoon's power to help her with any of her crises.  
  
But thanks for the question, and thanks to everyone who has commented on this story; I do appreciate your comments.)  
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER NINE  
  
The whole next day after Hoshi died, Ami felt a strange mix of emotions--very good and very bad. Tokyo was clearly coming back to life; in the early morning, bulldozers started clearing away the wreckage of Kuroiami's battles, and a city utility crew actually reconnected the Tsukino house to the city's water supply and electric grid by the late afternoon. And of course Ami was glad she had Usagi back; Ami had risked everything to find Usagi and take her home, so at least half of that task was completed.  
  
But Hoshi was never far from her thoughts. Ami spent the rest of that day helping Usagi clean up the Tsukino home--while Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Luna continued searching for Hotaru--but Shingo's face and voice returned to Ami whenever she had a quiet moment alone. She even snapped at Usagi once when Usagi mentioned how much she wished Chibi-Usa were there; at least Chibi-Usa was still alive in their own world, Ami said; Hoshi was gone forever.  
  
"I'm sorry," Usagi said, hugging Ami as she cried. "It was mean of me to say that."  
  
"It's just...I just never got to know him...and now he's dead!"  
  
"I'm sorry," Usagi said softly. "I'm sure he would have loved you too, if he'd had the chance."  
  
Later, when the Outer Senshi returned around dusk, Haruka took Usagi aside to ask why Ami's eyes were all red and puffy.  
  
*"She just had a good cry,"* Usagi whispered confidentially, *"about Hoshi."*  
  
"Ah."  
  
"So, did you find Hotaru-chan?"  
  
"No," Haruka admitted, "but we did find you and Ami some clothes that aren't all moth-eaten, and Luna made you a new henshin brooch."  
  
"Oh, I forgot all about that!" Usagi admitted, only then remembering the ginzuishou she was keeping in a pocket of her moth-eaten old skirt.  
  
But sure enough, Michiru and Setsuna then appeared with bags full of new clothes, and Luna appeared with a new henshin brooch for Usagi. Attracted by the commotion, Ami then came out of the kitchen just in time to see Usagi place her ginzuishou into the brooch under Luna's direction, which caused both the ginzuishou and brooch to glow from within with magical energy.  
  
"And now we have Sailormoon back among us," Luna said, as Usagi attached the brooch to the front of her blouse.  
  
"Oh, here's your clothes," Michiru said to Ami, handing her a bag, "just in case you want a change from that old uniform."  
  
Ami looked in the bag, and saw some very nice-looking outfits.  
  
"You didn't steal these," Ami asked suspiciously, "did you...?"  
  
"Ami-chan!" Usagi said.  
  
"Well, the city is pretty well wrecked," Ami said. "I doubt there's many dress shops left in Juubangai."  
  
"Actually," Michiru said, "the city as a whole is in pretty good shape. This part--Minato-ku--was hit pretty hard, but that's just one district."  
  
"So if it makes you feel any better," Haruka said, patting Ami on the shoulder, "we went up to Shinjuku and paid in cash."  
  
Ami blushed slightly, realizing it was a silly thing to worry about anyway; with Kuroiami still unaccounted for, and this world's Usagi still missing, there were more important things to worry about than shoplifting.  
  
"So I see the power's back on," Haruka remarked, noticing the lights.  
  
"Oh yes," Ami said. "Should we have kept the lights off? I forgot what you said about snipers..."  
  
"No, the lights are fine," Haruka laughed. "I don't think they'd go through all the trouble of reconnecting the power, just so they could shoot us."  
  
"I was just checking the stove in the kitchen, and I think it still works; will ramen be all right for dinner?"  
  
"Ramen sounds great," Haruka said.  
  
Ami nodded, about to turn back to the kitchen, when a faint knock came at the door.  
  
Haruka glanced around at the other Senshi--all of whom were accounted for. She then headed for the door while the other Senshi ducked behind cover--just in case there was trouble.  
  
"It's probably just another utility crew," Haruka muttered.  
  
But Haruka was astounded when she looked through the dusty window set in the middle of the front door.  
  
"It's Tomoe-san!" Haruka exclaimed.  
  
"Hotaru--?" Ami said, hurrying to join Haruka, Usagi, Michiru, Setsuna and Luna at the door. And indeed--wearing a short black dress with a white lace collar-- Hotaru was clearly recognizable through the window. Ami only caught a glimpse of Hotaru standing upright before the door, however; as soon as the door opened, Hotaru fell forward, collapsing into Haruka's arms.  
  
All the Senshi gasped as one--Usagi and Ami gasping "Hotaru!" and the Outer Senshi gasping "Tomoe-san!"--but all were equally moved with concern.  
  
"Is she all right?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Has she fainted?" Michiru asked.  
  
"I don't know," Haruka said, moving Hotaru briskly to the living room couch and setting her down there. Ami then checked for Hotaru's pulse at her neck.  
  
"She has a pulse," Ami said, "but it's very faint. If only I had my minicomputer..."  
  
"Oh, I can help there!" Luna said, suddenly running off somewhere. A few seconds later, she returned with Ami's minicomputer.  
  
"Luna!" Usagi exclaimed; "did you just build that?"  
  
"No," Luna replied, handing the device over to Ami. "It belonged to Kuroiami, before she was Kuroiami."  
  
Ami activated the device, and was gratified to see that it worked the same as her own minicomputer (which she had left behind in her apartment before following Usagi to this world). Kuroiami had configured some of the programs differently, but the medical scanner worked just the same as she remembered.  
  
"She doesn't appear to be physically injured," Ami reported, while scanning Hotaru, "but her energy level is very low. Is Hotaru sickly in this world, like the one in our world?"  
  
The Outer Senshi looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
"Actually, we've only met her once," Michiru admitted, "at Mugen Palace."  
  
"We knew of her existence before that," Setsuna explained, "but Kuroiami had her executed before she could join us. To be honest, we're not sure how she came back at all."  
  
Ami looked up at Usagi, but Usagi looked just as baffled as the Outer Senshi.  
  
"Regardless of how she got here," Haruka said, "she is one of us. What should we do, Ami?"  
  
"Well..." Ami said, "actually, I don't know. This may be a natural condition for her--like with Hotaru in our own world. If the condition is similar, she may just need rest to build up her strength again."  
  
"You're the expert," Haruka said. "Tell us what to do."  
  
For Ami--who was unaccustomed to such deference from the Outer Senshi of her own world--it was hard to know how to respond to that; quite probably, rest in a quiet place was all Hotaru really needed. But Ami suspected there was more to Haruka's deference than simple recognition of Ami's superior knowledge of science; ever since Haruka had recognized the error of their first meeting--when Sailoruranus had nearly beaten the life out of Ami, mistaking her for Kuroiami--Haruka had been very kind to Ami, perhaps to make up for that error. But Ami didn't want to make too much of that; Haruka was a proud person, and Ami didn't want to remind her of that mistake if she could help it.  
  
"Perhaps some blankets would be good," Ami suggested. "But not too many; just enough to keep her warm, not enough to smother her."  
  
"Blankets," Haruka said, hurrying off to find blankets, "right..."  
  
"And it might not be a bad idea to have your first aid kit handy," Ami said to Michiru and Setsuna.  
  
"Hai," said Michiru, leaving with Setsuna to find the kit. That left Usagi and Luna alone with Ami and Hotaru.  
  
"Usagi-chan," Luna said, "did you know Hotaru very well in your own world?"  
  
"Well, pretty well; she was a good friend of Chibi-Usa's."  
  
Luna appeared confused for a moment.  
  
"Usagi's daughter," Ami explained, "from the future."  
  
"Oh, yes," Luna said. "So, what kind of person was your Hotaru?"  
  
"Well, she's still around," Usagi said, "and she's a very sweet girl. She lives with Haruka and Michiru and Setsuna, and they're all one big happy family."  
  
"But her life was harder when she was younger," Ami said. "Her father was corrupted by the Death Busters, and Hotaru was host to a terrible monster called 'Mistress Nine'. Hotaru was eventually forced to destroy herself--as Sailorsaturn--to overcome Mistress Nine and Pharaoh 90. If Sailormoon hadn't saved her, she would have been lost forever, since Sailorsaturn is normally destroyed when she uses her ultimate power."  
  
Again, Luna nodded, but--before she could ask any more questions--Haruka returned with the blankets, and Michiru and Setsuna returned with a rather large first aid kit. To Usagi and Ami, the way that the Outer Senshi fussed over Hotaru did indeed seem very familiar, but both of the Inner Senshi had fond memories of Hotaru as well. They didn't really know the Hotaru of this world at all, but their own Hotaru was a person of surpassing goodness and selflessness, so it seemed natural to assume this Hotaru was similar.  
  
"I'll watch over her," Ami said to the others, once Hotaru was nestled under the prescribed number of blankets. "The minicomputer will let me know if there's any change in her condition."  
  
"Very well," Haruka said. "But let us know immediately if there's any change."  
  
"Don't worry," Ami said. "I'll let you know."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Improvement was not long in coming; within an hour, Hotaru stirred (attracting the attention of all the Senshi to wonder at its significance), and Hotaru opened her eyes and spoke faintly a short time after that.  
  
"Kuroiami...?" Hotaru said, looking at Ami.  
  
"No," Ami said, "my name is Ami. How do you feel?"  
  
"Tired," Hotaru said; "and a little thirsty..."  
  
Haruka brought a glass of water at once.  
  
"Be careful," Ami advised Hotaru; "don't try to drink too much all at once."  
  
"Arigatou," Hotaru said, sipping the water. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you..."  
  
"It's no trouble," Ami replied. "How did you know to come here, though?"  
  
"And where did you go the other day?" Haruka asked. "We were worried about you."  
  
Hotaru looked as if she was trying to remember.  
  
"I don't know," Hotaru admitted, after a moment. "I know I was drawn to this place, but I can't remember anything before that..."  
  
"Well, don't worry about that," Usagi advised. "I'm sure it will all come back to you once you get your strength back."  
  
Hotaru smiled at Usagi.  
  
"Are you...Sailormoon?" Hotaru asked.  
  
Usagi was astonished--and the other Senshi no less so.  
  
"Do you know Sailormoon?" Usagi asked.  
  
"I have heard of her," Hotaru said, closing her eyes; "I have seen her...in my dreams..."  
  
Watching Hotaru's eyes close, Usagi, Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna all turned to Ami with concern. But Ami reassured them that Hotaru was fine.  
  
"She's just tired, I think," Ami said, after giving Hotaru a cursory scan. "She probably just needs a little more rest."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Eventually, later in the evening, Hotaru awoke again and seemed to have more energy this time. When Hotaru mentioned she was hungry, Michiru heated up the ramen that had been left neglected earlier in the day, and Hotaru expressed thanks for the portion she was given later. Usagi then suggested that Hotaru might be more comfortable in the master bedroom (where Usagi and Ami had slept the night before), and a great deal of fuss then attended the moving of Hotaru to those better quarters. Through it all, Hotaru was apologetic for being such an inconvenience, but all the Senshi insisted it was no trouble at all.  
  
Once Hotaru was installed in the queen size bed, the Inner and Outer Senshi then stood around the foot of the bed and looked at Hotaru with nervous satisfaction. Hotaru did seem to have a slightly healthier glow in her cheeks than she had during the daytime, but she looked so tiny on the great big bed--covered by blankets and surrounded by pillows--that she somehow looked even more fragile than she had on the couch.  
  
*"One of us should stay with Hotaru at all times,"* Ami whispered to the other Senshi. *"Perhaps we could take shifts."*  
  
*"But only you know how to use the minicomputer,"* Michiru replied.  
  
*"Well, I can use the minicomputer,"* Luna said.  
  
*"Actually,"* Ami said, *"I've set the medical program to monitor Hotaru automatically. An alarm will sound if Hotaru's condition declines suddenly."*  
  
*"I'll take the first shift then,"* Haruka volunteered.  
  
Hotaru, however, seemed to have her own preference.  
  
"Usagi," Hotaru said, lifting a hand, "will you stay with me?"  
  
Usagi--who knew less about the minicomputer than anyone else--seemed surprised; and indeed Usagi was reluctant to make Haruka mad (after hearing how Sailoruranus had pummeled Ami earlier). But Haruka nodded in agreement with Hotaru's suggestion.  
  
"All right," Usagi said, "I'll stay."  
  
The other Senshi then withdrew from the master bedroom and made their own preparations for sleep. For the sake of safety, the Outer Senshi all slept together in the first floor living room (avoiding the upstairs bedrooms because of their ingrained concern about snipers, as well as their desire to avoid being trapped upstairs if the house was raided by enemies). Given Kuroiami's recent retreat from Tokyo, and the rapidly improving conditions in Minato-ku, Ami doubted an attack was likely, but nonetheless agreed that it was best to be on the safe side.  
  
"May I stay out here with you?" Ami asked the Outer Senshi.  
  
"Yes, of course," said Haruka; "you can have the couch."  
  
Ami didn't argue, although that left Setsuna and Michiru to sleep on the floor; Haruka herself wouldn't be sleeping yet, since she would be the first person keeping watch that night.  
  
"Tenou-san," Ami said, after Haruka had turned out the lights, "what do you plan to do next? Now that Kuroiami has fled, I mean."  
  
"I'm not sure," Haruka admitted, taking up her watch post near one of the living room windows. "But Tomoe-san is key to our future; I know that."  
  
"Do you know anything about her past?" Ami asked, pausing as she felt Luna jump up onto the couch with her, then curl up and go to sleep. "I mean, how she could have come back to life, after she was dead?"  
  
"I don't know. But miracles do happen; you and Usagi are proof of that."   
  
* * * * *  
  
Usagi, meanwhile, curled up in a chair near Hotaru's bed, feeling the warm satisfaction she always felt from looking after another person. This sort of thing suited Usagi better than battle, though she was often forced to do battle as Sailormoon.  
  
Eventually, with the room lit only by the glow of a soft light from the adjacent bedroom, Usagi was lulled to sleep herself by the soft beeping of Ami's minicomputer, signifying that everything was normal. It wasn't something she meant to happen...  
  
I must remain awake, Usagi thought; I must remain awake...  
  
...but she fell asleep all the same, and dreamt of her last battle with the Death Busters. It was a frightful experience, as Mistress Nine threatened to kill Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune if Usagi didn't hand over the Holy Grail; even Usagi knew that Mistress Nine wasn't likely to keep her word, but she handed the Holy Grail over all the same. But then the dream departed from reality as Mistress Nine transformed back into Hotaru, smiling and happy, saved and healed by the power of the Grail...  
  
"Usagi..."  
  
It wasn't until a moment later that Usagi realized she was no longer dreaming; opening her eyes, she saw Hotaru--pallid and sweaty--reaching out to her.  
  
"Usagi, help me..."  
  
"What is it, Hotaru?" Usagi asked, leaping from her chair at once to sit beside Hotaru. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Something inside me is dying..." Hotaru said, looking up at Usagi--or more specifically at Usagi's henshin brooch. The brooch was glowing with power now, responding to something inside Hotaru.  
  
"I need...the Grail..."  
  
Usagi felt a chill run through her body.  
  
"How do you know about the Grail?" Usagi asked.  
  
"I...don't know...  
  
"But know I need it; I need it, or I will die..."  
  
Usagi backed up off the bed, clutching her brooch. She could feel the fire inside the ginzuishou--but was it a warning, or something else?  
  
"I don't have the Grail," Usagi replied. "I don't even know if the Grail exists in this world..."  
  
"The Outer Senshi can summon the Grail," Hotaru replied, "but only you can wield it; only you can give it to me..."  
  
Usagi was about to respond, but then Ami's minicomputer began beeping fast and loud.  
  
"I'm going to get the others," Usagi said. "Wait here."  
  
Since Haruka was still up and standing watch, it only took Usagi and Haruka a moment to wake the other Senshi and Luna. Then--as a group--they moved to join Hotaru.  
  
"Hotaru is very weak," Ami said, checking the beeping minicomputer. "Her whole system is shutting down..."  
  
"What can we do?" Haruka asked.  
  
"I don't know," Ami said. "I don't even know what's causing this..."  
  
"The Grail," Hotaru said, weakly. "I must have the Grail..."  
  
"What's the Grail?" Michiru asked.  
  
"An artifact of great power," Setsuna said. "We three have the power to summon the Grail, but only our princess can use it."  
  
"The princess..." Haruka said, glancing suddenly at Usagi, "Sailormoon!"  
  
"I think I know what she means," Usagi said.  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Haruka said. "Let's summon the Grail!"  
  
Ami, however, wasn't quite so enthusiastic.  
  
"Haruka," Ami said, "I don't think that's such a good idea."  
  
"What are you talking about? You said yourself you don't know what's happening to her!"  
  
"Haruka," Michiru said, touching Haruka on the shoulder, "let's not get carried away. Remember, Ami and Usagi know a lot more about Hotaru than we do."  
  
Hotaru moaned fitfully.  
  
"Do you know what to do or not?" Haruka said to Usagi, backing her up against a wall. Usagi was frightened, but looked at Ami.  
  
"It's your decision," Ami said; "but remember Mistress Nine."  
  
An agonizing moment passed, as Usagi heard Hotaru groaning, felt the ginzuishou burning, and felt her own heart beating fearfully fast. Usagi--as Sailormoon--had handed over another Grail once before, but her heart told her to heed Ami's warning; the Grail held awesome power, and everything about this situation spoke of danger. If this world's Ami could be thoroughly evil, then why not this world's Hotaru as well?  
  
Suddenly, though, Ami's minicomputer stopped beeping altogether--the beeping replaced by a single continuous tone. Ami glanced at Michiru, and Michiru moved to feel for a pulse at Hotaru's neck.  
  
"I think she's dead," Michiru said.  
  
"You bitch!" Haruka spat at Usagi. "I'll kill you!"  
  
Usagi shrank backward, realizing Haruka meant to strike her. But then, suddenly, Ami moved between Haruka and Usagi.  
  
"Then you can kill me too," Ami said.  
  
Haruka seethed with fury, but she could not bring herself to strike Ami.  
  
"Kuso!" Haruka said, punching the closest wall.  
  
"I'm sorry..." Usagi said tearfully, wanting to explain how Mistress Nine had once exploited her love for Hotaru, and how the world had nearly been extinguished because of it. But this was only a rationalization. Inside, Usagi felt hollow and false; it was not like her not to help someone--anyone--who asked for help.  
  
Perhaps I am the evil one, Usagi thought, staring numbly at Ami's back; perhaps I am the true evil in this world...  
  
But even as she thought so, slipping into a well of her own despair, Usagi was startled by a strange familiar beeping...  
  
"It's Hotaru!" Ami said suddenly, lifting her minicomputer. "She's alive!"  
  
The Outer Senshi turned to Hotaru as one, and Usagi fell to her knees. Nobody seemed to quite believe it, but the Hotaru moved beneath the covers, blinked her eyes and look back at the other Senshi curiously.  
  
"Tenou-san? Ami-san? Is something the matter?"  
  
Ami looked at Haruka.  
  
"She seems fine," Ami said, lowering her minicomputer.  
  
Haruka and Michiru were overwhelmed, and joined Hotaru on the bed; Hotaru, for her part, seemed mystified by all the attention, but bore it with good humor.  
  
"Arigatou," Hotaru said to Haruka and Michiru, "but I'm fine, I'm fine..."  
  
"You gave us a scare," Setsuna said. "We thought you had died."  
  
"I think I'm alive..." Hotaru replied, looking down at her own body.  
  
"Do you remember asking us about the Grail?" Ami asked.  
  
"No…   
  
"What's a 'Grail'?"  
  
Ami looked at Usagi--who was still on her knees--but Usagi was too distracted by the ginzuishou to notice; the fire inside the gem had faded now, perhaps because the danger from Hotaru had also faded.  
  
But someone--or something--alien *was* alive inside Hotaru; of that, Usagi had no doubt.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The rest of the night passed without incident; Haruka decided to stay with Hotaru the rest of the night, while the rest of the Senshi retired to the living room, but Hotaru soon fell into a restful slumber and awoke the next day in surprisingly good spirits. Ami and Usagi were quite stunned when Hotaru walked into the living room in her unwrinkled black dress--seemingly none the worse for wear--and greeted them with a cheerful "Ohaiyo gozaimasu!"  
  
"Ohaiyo gozaimasu!" the girls replied.  
  
"Are Kaiou-san and Meiou-san here?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"I think they went to get some breakfast," Usagi replied. "Are you...all right?"  
  
"Oh, I'm fine," Hotaru replied, "although I could use some breakfast. I'm famished!"  
  
Haruka then appeared behind Hotaru--and Usagi flinched--but Haruka greeted Usagi and Ami with a friendly "ohaiyo gozaimasu" as well.  
  
"Ohaiyo gozaimasu," Usagi and Ami replied.  
  
"You didn't ask to be relieved," Ami noted to Haruka. "I take it nothing happened?"  
  
"No, Hotaru slept like a baby. And I dozed off myself there as well, eventually…"  
  
"Hotaru," Ami said, "do you remember anything about yesterday?"  
  
Hotaru thought for a moment, then shook her head.  
  
"Not really. I remember you taking care of me...and I remember waking up this morning...but nothing before that. In fact I was going to ask, do you know how I got here?"  
  
Ami and Usagi looked at Haruka, and all of them shrugged.  
  
"Well, don't you worry about that," Haruka said. "You're here now, and that's all that matters."  
  
"Perhaps you're right," Hotaru replied. "Oh, Ami-san, and Usagi-san, you can have your bedroom back if you'd like. I think I'm feeling better now, and I hate to impose on your kindness."  
  
"Oh, it was no trouble," Ami replied.  
  
Actually, though, Usagi and Ami were both keen to have the master bedroom back to themselves--partly so they could change out of the ratty clothes they'd been wearing for days, and partly so they could avail themselves of the shower that had just started working the day before. Thus, while Michiru and Setsuna were returning from their shopping expedition and greeting Hotaru, Usagi and Ami were both scrubbing out the tub and shower, prior to taking turns under the refreshing spray of water from Minato-ku's recently reconnected water supply. The girls then changed into two of the outfits that the Outer Senshi had found for them the day before.  
  
"I'm guessing Michiru and Setsuna did the shopping," Ami said, after changing into a pretty blue sundress.  
  
"Yeah," Usagi agreed, after putting on a pink Usui Yoshiki top and matching shorts; "Haruka-san would have got us all fatigues and combat boots."  
  
"I do feel almost normal again," Ami said, picking up the sandals that went with the dress; "but things aren't normal, are they?"  
  
"Well, we're a gazillion kilometers from home," Usagi said. "That's not normal."  
  
"I was thinking of Hotaru. Is she as dangerous as I think she is?"  
  
"It's hard to believe she could be dangerous," Usagi said, "but I know my brooch responded to her…or whatever's inside of her."  
  
"We need to be careful, then."  
  
"Well, yeah," Usagi said. "I don't want Haruka to slug me like she did you!"  
  
"It is ironic," Ami noted; "back in our world, the Outers desperately wanted to kill Hotaru. Here it's exactly opposite; I'm just concerned she could hurt them, if they're not careful."  
  
"That's my Ami," Usagi said, putting an arm around Ami; "always worrying."  
  
Ami smiled feebly.  
  
"Let's go join the others," Usagi suggested. "With any luck, the Outers are better at making breakfast than we are!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
With the Outer Senshi fussing over her, Hotaru had hardly a moment alone all day; Haruka did make a show of helping Ami and Usagi fix up the house, but the littlest sign of distress from Hotaru would bring Haruka running from whatever part of the house she happened to be in.  
  
It seemed to sadden Haruka, thus, that Hotaru actually came to prefer spending time with Ami and Usagi--if only because Ami and Usagi weren't nearly as obsessed with her well-being. But Haruka bore this stoically, and even tried to appear encouraging when Ami and Usagi offered to take Hotaru for a walk around the neighborhood.  
  
This walk was strangely melancholy for Ami and Usagi; although city workers had already repaired much of the damage to the area, landmarks like the Crown Building, Juuban Hall, Juuban Junior High, and Juuban High School were all in shambles. On the other hand, though, the Hikawa Jinja and the chapel at the T.A. Private Girls' School were both surprisingly well-preserved.  
  
"Perhaps God spared those places," Ami suggested.  
  
"That's not a very 'scientific' opinion," Usagi kidded Ami.  
  
"I think Ami-san is right, though," Hotaru said. "Haruka-san says we must believe in miracles."  
  
"So there," Ami said to Usagi.  
  
Some minutes later, they returned to the Tsukino residence, but Hotaru asked for a moment alone when they returned to the front yard.  
  
"All right," Ami said; "we'll let Haruka know you're outside."  
  
Hotaru nodded, and walked over to the side of the house to commune with her master.  
  
Mother, Hotaru thought, I have failed. The others would not bring forth the Holy Grail.  
  
But why not? Kaorinite replied. I thought they were devoted to you!  
  
They are; but Sailormercury sewed the seeds of doubt in Sailormoon's mind, and Sailormoon would not cooperate.  
  
Did you not simulate your own death, as I showed you? Did you not mold their dreams to make them tractable?  
  
Yes, but Sailormoon remained suspicious; it was vital to turn her, and she would not turn.  
  
Very well Kaorinite thought, this situation will have to do for now. Remain with the Senshi, and watch for another opportunity to seize the Grail.  
  
Yes, Mother.  
  
Hotaru then looked up, and was surprised to see a most incongruous sight--a blue-haired boy of perhaps 14, wearing what looked like a blue cape and some sort of military tunic and trousers, standing on top of a nearby fence.  
  
"Pardon me," the blue-haired boy said; "might this be the Tsukino residence?"  
  
"Who are you?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"Forgive me," the boy said, leaping down from the fence to land near Hotaru, "your beauty has made me forget myself. My name is Hoshi, and I am an ambassador from my mother, Kuroiami-sama."  
  
Hotaru blushed very slightly--even as she braced herself defensively.  
  
"Kuroiami is the enemy of all the Earth," Hotaru said; "what business do you have here?"  
  
"I have merely come to offer an invitation. You are a Sailor Senshi, are you not?"  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"You have a powerful aura," Hoshi said. "Beautiful, but powerful as well."  
  
"I am Sailorsaturn," Hotaru admitted.  
  
"Very good. Then perhaps you can relay a message to the Senshi on my behalf; my mother would like them to come to the Palace of Queen Serenity on the Moon--in the Mare Senenitatis--to be her guest."  
  
"What for? To kill us all in one convenient location?"  
  
"I certainly hope not," Hoshi said, smiling at Hotaru; "who could want to hurt such a beautiful young lady as yourself?"  
  
Hoshi then lifted Hotaru's hand to kiss it, and stepped back.  
  
"Until later," Hoshi said, "sayonara."  
  
Hoshi then disappeared in a shower of cherry blossoms, just as Haruka--finally unable to contain her concern about Hotaru any longer--came outside to check on her. Michiru, Setsuna, Usagi, Ami and Luna then followed, and all of them formed a semicircle around Hotaru.  
  
"Tomoe-san," Haruka said, "are you all right?"  
  
"Yes, I'm all right," Hotaru said, looking at her hand for a moment, then looking up at the other Senshi. "I was asked to deliver a message to you, though. A boy named Hoshi just extended an invitation for us to join Kuroiami at the palace of Queen Serenity on the Moon."  
  
Ami gasped, and suddenly turned white.  
  
"Hoshi…?" Ami asked.  
  
"Ami-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, hurrying to catch Ami before her knees buckled.  
  
"Did he have blue hair?" Michiru asked.  
  
"Oh yes," Hotaru said.  
  
Ami then collapsed altogether, despite Usagi.  
  
"And I must say," Hotaru added, "he was very handsome."  
  
Setsuna raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Handsome? That's an odd description for such a young boy."  
  
"Well, he wasn't *that* young," Hotaru said. "He was at least as old as me. Or perhaps a little older."  
  
Hotaru then thought to add how he'd kissed her hand, but--given Ami's state of near-collapse--she decided to keep that detail to herself. 


	10. Masquerade

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.)  
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER TEN  
  
(November 16, 1997)  
  
Luna stared at the computer screen for a long moment, unable to comprehend why Sailormercury could possibly want to throw herself off her apartment balcony. Artemis, meanwhile--many blocks away at Minako's house--wondered why Luna had suddenly stopped chatting with him:  
  
TsukiNeko2: Luna, are you still there?  
  
TsukiNeko1: Artemis, something has happened to Sailormercury! Contact the other Senshi immediately, and ask them to join me at Ami's apartment!  
  
TsukiNeko2: Hai!  
  
Without even bothering to shut off Usagi's computer, Luna then ran over to Usagi's open bedroom window, hopped outside and started running directly toward Ami's apartment. Luckily for Luna, traffic was light on this early Sunday evening, so she managed to dart across the intervening cross streets with less hazard than usual. In the lobby of Ami's apartment building, Luna then hopped off the ground to push the 'UP' button of the elevator bank, and used a similar technique inside the elevator to press the buttons that took her up to the 14th floor.  
  
Unfortunately, the actual door to Ami's apartment was locked, but Luna happened to find a neighbor's door open and climbed out onto the roof through that apartment instead; then--with her feline climbing ability--she let herself into the open window of Ami's living room.  
  
Since Luna knew that Usagi was supposed to be with Ami, Luna's first priority was locating either one of the girls; however, both were missing, so Luna then looked for any clues to their current whereabouts.   
  
Thankfully, Sailormercury's body wasn't lying smashed on the ground 35 meters below, but there was a nylon rope tied to a drainpipe next to the patio balcony--the end of which was lying loose and frayed with nothing attached to it.  
  
But the definitive clue was Ami's minicomputer, left lying on the patio floor with a small note attached:  
  
*LUNA~ACCESS FILE MERCURY999*  
  
By the time the Senshi arrived--Rei, Makoto and Minako--this file had already cleared up much of the mystery for Luna. Opening the dead bolt on the front door with her leaping technique, Luna let the Inner Senshi into the apartment, then explained what she knew.  
  
"Minna-san," Luna said, "Usagi and Ami have disappeared."  
  
"Oh my goodness!" said Makoto.  
  
"When?" asked Rei.  
  
"How?" asked Minako.  
  
"Within the hour," Luna explained. "A dimensional portal opened near Ami's patio, and Usagi was taken through the portal by two strange individuals--a blue-haired woman, and a blue-haired boy. Mercury then pursued Usagi by jumping into the portal, but left her minicomputer behind to tell us what happened."  
  
Rei and Makoto looked at Luna with disbelief.  
  
"You're kidding," Rei said.  
  
"Why would somebody want to abduct Usagi?" Makoto asked. "We haven't had any enemies for years."  
  
But Minako was more willing to indulge Luna; she noted how the living room door was still open with the curtains flapping in the breeze, and also noted the nylon cable tied to the drain pipe just outside the open door.  
  
"Is this the rope Mercury used when she jumped?" Minako asked Luna.  
  
"I assume so. Presumably, the rope was cut when the portal closed behind her."  
  
Rei and Makoto moved to look at the rope, then finally began to accept the reality of the situation.  
  
"This really is serious," Makoto said.  
  
Rei nodded, agreeing with Makoto. Inside, though, Rei couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't all just an elaborate joke on Usagi's part, and Usagi wouldn't come leaping out of a hall closet any second now, laughing at Rei's gullibility.  
  
*"I just hope this isn't one of Usagi's pranks,"* Rei muttered to Makoto. *"If it is, she is *so* dead..."*  
  
* * * * *  
  
Although Luna now knew about the portal, and knew where Usagi and Sailormercury had gone, she still had a number of serious problems to think about. Would the portal ever open again, so the Inner Senshi could rescue their friends? And if not, was there any way to force the portal open?  
  
But overriding everything else at the moment was the simple matter of what to tell Dr. Mizuno, and Tsukino Ikuko. With tomorrow a school day, a lot of questions would be asked if Usagi and Ami suddenly went missing.  
  
"Dr. Mizuno is working a late shift at the hospital," Luna told the Inner Senshi; "I remember Usagi mentioned that, before she left to spend the night here. So we have a little time to think of what to tell her."  
  
"What *can* we tell her?" Rei asked. "Our friends are in another universe, for God's sake!"  
  
"Actually, we don't know where the portal went," Luna said. "It might be a portal to the basement of the Game Center Crown, for all we know. But I'm not registering the energy from Usagi's brooch or Ami's henshin stick anywhere nearby...  
  
"Anyway, it will take time for me to understand this portal phenomenon; and even if I understand it, there's no guarantee I can force the portal open again."  
  
The Senshi looked at each other, then looked at Luna and sighed.  
  
Then the front door opened, and a very tall woman with short blond hair addressed the group.  
  
"Why the long faces?" Haruka asked.  
  
Luna and the Inner Senshi spun around as one, and were startled to see Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru standing in the doorway.  
  
"Michiru?" Minako said. "Hotaru? Setsuna? What are you doing here?"  
  
"We felt a disturbance from outside the Solar System," Michiru said, "centered on this apartment."  
  
"Is Usagi in danger?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"You could say that," Luna said, as the Outer Senshi let themselves into the apartment. "She was abducted through a dimensional portal, and disappeared along with Sailormercury."  
  
"And tomorrow's a school day," Makoto noted. "If Ami misses even one day of school, she probably *will* kill herself."  
  
The Outer Senshi then looked around the apartment much as the Inner Senshi already had done, and asked for clarification of the situation as Luna understood it. All the Outer Senshi agreed that Sailormercury seemed remarkably calm during the crisis--since she'd remembered to leave the minicomputer behind with important information--and Haruka even ventured the opinion that Usagi was lucky Ami was the Senshi who was closest when the portal opened.  
  
"Hey!" Rei said. "I resent that!"  
  
"Gomen nasai," Haruka said. "I meant no offense. I was only thinking of how…ah…scatterbrained…our princess can be."  
  
The Inner Senshi and the Outer Senshi exchanged thoughtful glances, and were forced to nod their heads in agreement.  
  
"True," Rei admitted. "She can be a bit of a baka sometimes."  
  
"Luna," Setsuna said, finally, "I have a thought. Do you not still possess the disguise pen?"  
  
"Well, yes..." Luna said. "But how would that help?"  
  
"It won't help get the girls back," Setsuna said, "but it might help us to hide the disappearance of the girls from their parents. You'll need access to this apartment to study the portal phenomenon, and Dr. Mizuno most likely won't let strangers stay here if she thinks her daughter is missing. But with the pen, one of us could pretend to be Ami, so Ami's mother wouldn't know anything was wrong."  
  
"And one of us could be Usagi!" Minako said. "Oh, pick me! Pick me!"  
  
"You need to be in school yourself," Luna said. "It would hardly make sense for you to cut school, just to impersonate Usagi."  
  
"I could make that sacrifice," Minako replied.  
  
"Actually," Michiru said, "why not just let me be Ami, and let Hotaru be Usagi?"  
  
"Oh, could I?" Hotaru asked Michiru excitedly.  
  
"It's Luna's pen," Michiru replied "It's her decision."  
  
Luna considered the matter for a long moment before responding; Michiru would be entirely believable as Ami since both of them were very brilliant and generally soft-spoken. But could Hotaru really portray Usagi?   
  
Although Luna had come to respect Usagi's inner strength over the years, there was no escaping the fact that Usagi was indeed a clumsy baka more often than not--so much so that her general goofiness would be difficult for anyone to duplicate.  
  
"Are you sure you're up to it, Hotaru-chan?" Luna asked.  
  
"Hai!" Hotaru said. "I'd love to be Usagi!"  
  
"Very well, then," Luna said, borrowing Rei's communicator to call Artemis (still at Minako's house), and ask him to bring over the disguise pen. The pen, Luna explained, was lying underneath a pile of manga in Usagi's bedroom--a fact which Artemis found mind-boggling, though he agreed to bring the pen as soon as he could find it.  
  
And so it was that Luna finally had her first quiet moment alone to reflect on the days events, as she waited for Artemis to arrive.  
  
I'm afraid I have to agree with Rei, Luna thought, sitting on the edge of Ami's patio and looking at the lights of Minato-ku; if this is one of Usagi's pranks, I'll kill her myself!  
  
* * * * *  
  
Although the disguise pen didn't work perfectly at first (Hotaru ended up looking like Usagi, only with violet eyes and Hotaru's voice), Luna eventually discovered that the secret was to be very specific in the phrasing of one's transformation phrase; thus, "Moon Power, transform me into Tsukino Usagi, with Usagi's voice and blue eyes!" worked much better.  
  
"We could always get them contact lenses," Artemis suggested, after Michiru and Hotaru had successfully transformed into Ami-M (Michiru) and Usagi-H (Hotaru).  
  
"No, I think they look fine," Haruka offered.  
  
"Oh, Hotaru!" Minako squealed, "you look so *kawaii*!"  
  
Usagi-H bowed, causing her twin blond ponytails to fly about realistically.  
  
"What about our clothes?" Ami-M asked Luna. "Are you sure this is what the girls were wearing? We don't want Dr. Mizuno to be suspicious."  
  
"I remember," Luna said. "Ami was wearing a sweatshirt and pants, and Usagi was wearing a long skirt and sweater, just like that."  
  
"We're probably set, then," Ami-M said. "But you should all probably leave now--except for Luna. Otherwise, Ami's mom will think she's having a party here."  
  
"Well, Ami is 18," Usagi-H observed. "That's almost old enough to drink."  
  
"20 is old enough to drink," Ami-M responded, with the tone of a mother speaking to her child.  
  
"True."  
  
"All right, minna-san," Artemis said, "let's go."  
  
The Inner and Outer Senshi nodded, but Haruka lingered just a little longer than the others, pausing to give Ami-M a passionate farewell kiss. Since Ami-M looked exactly like Ami, the Inner Senshi all gasped in shock.  
  
*"You look good that way,"* Haruka whispered; *"you should wear your hair short more often."*  
  
"Oh, go on already," Ami-M said, giving Haruka a playful shove.  
  
"Ja ne, 'Ami-chan'," Haruka said, giving Ami-M a sly wink before leaving along with the others.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After the others left, Ami-M and Usagi-H were left alone with Luna in Ami's apartment, feeling very much like strangers in another person's home.  
  
"Michiru-mama," Usagi-H said, "this feels weird."  
  
"Call me 'Ami-chan'," Ami-M said. "But I understand…  
  
"Perhaps we just haven't gotten used to our roles yet. Now let's think: what would Usagi say if Ami suggested they should study their English?"  
  
Usagi-H thought for a moment, then started crying.  
  
"English? WAAAAAAA...!!!"  
  
"Very good, 'Usagi-chan'."  
  
Luna rolled her eyes, but--inwardly--she had to admit that sounded a lot like Usagi.  
  
In the time they had left before Dr. Mizuno returned, Ami-M and Usagi-H then took the opportunity to learn as much about their roles as possible, asking Luna questions, and also studying the girls' textbooks and other school materials.  
  
"I wish Chibi-Usa were here," Usagi-H said, sitting on Ami's bed. "If we ever meet again, she'll never believe I did this."  
  
"I'm sure you'll meet her again," Ami-M said. "Is she the reason you were so excited about doing this?"  
  
"Well, yes," Usagi-H admitted, sheepishly. "But that's not wrong, is it, Michiru-mama? Chibi-Usa and Usagi were such good friends to me, I feel I owe them something in return."  
  
"That's fine," Ami-M said. "But just remember, for this to work you really have to believe you're Usagi."  
  
"Hai."  
  
"And call me 'Ami-chan',"  
  
"Oh. Hai, Ami-chan."  
  
The phone in the living room then started ringing, and Ami-M went to answer it, followed by Usagi-H and Luna.  
  
"It's for you," Ami-M said to Usagi-H, with surprise; "it's Mamoru-san."  
  
Shocked, Usagi-H took the handset and held it to her chest.  
  
"Mamoru!" Usagi-H exclaimed; "what do I say--!?!"  
  
"Actually," interjected Luna, "Usagi calls him 'Mamo-chan'--but I suggest you tell him the truth. Better to tell him now than later."  
  
Usagi-H nodded, and slowly lifted the receiver to her ear.  
  
"Hello?" Usagi-H said, speaking into the mouthpiece.  
  
"Usako," Mamoru said, "I got this number from your mother; are you all right?"  
  
"Why do you ask?" Usagi-H asked.  
  
"I had a terrible feeling earlier, at work--a feeling something was wrong; but I couldn't get free to call until now..."  
  
"Actually, Mamoru-san," Usagi-H said, "this isn't Usagi; this is Hotaru, impersonating Usagi."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
Usagi-H then went on to explain the whole rather complicated situation, including the fact that Luna was going to remain at Ami's apartment as long as necessary to study the portal phenomenon. Mamoru seemed to understand, but Usagi-H could hear the pain in his voice as she spoke with him; he clearly wanted to help, but even Luna didn't know where Usagi and Ami had gone, and Mamoru could hardly invite himself to come visit Ami's apartment in the middle of the night. Dr. Mizuno would never approve of *that*!  
  
"Will you promise to call me," Mamoru asked, "the moment Luna knows anything?"  
  
"Of course," Usagi-H said. "By the way, Luna says I should call you 'Mamo-chan', if that's all right."  
  
"That's fine," Mamoru said, "Usako. Oyasumi nasai."  
  
" Oyasumi nasai," Usagi-H replied, before hanging up the phone.  
  
"I wonder if that's why Minako wanted to play Usagi?" Ami-M asked.  
  
Usagi-H and Luna both blushed.  
  
"Michiru-mama!" Usagi-H exclaimed. "You're terrible!"  
  
Later--while the Outer Senshi returned to Ami's room to continue their research--Luna remained in the living room to continue her research with Ami's minicomputer; however, Luna (remembering that cats weren't officially allowed in the building) was forced to grab the minicomputer and hide when Dr. Mizuno finally returned home. Dr. Mizuno seemed oblivious to Luna's presence, though, as she walked directly to Ami's room, where Ami-M was practicing English sentences with Usagi-H.  
  
"Hello, girls," Dr. Mizuno said. "How was your day? Did you get anything to eat?"  
  
"We went out to eat," Ami-M said, "then we came back here to work on our English. Say something in English, Usagi-chan."  
  
Usagi-H thought for a moment, then said proudly:  
  
"'Good-bye. I am a book'."  
  
Dr. Mizuno lifted an eyebrow.  
  
*"She still needs a little practice,"* Ami-M whispered to Dr. Mizuno.  
  
"Well, anyway," Dr. Mizuno said, walking over to Ami-M to give her a hug, "you girls don't stay up too late, okay?"  
  
"All right, Mom," Ami-M replied.  
  
"I love you," Dr. Mizuno said. "Oyasumi nasai, Ami, and Usagi-san."  
  
"Oyasumi nasai," the girls replied.  
  
After Ami's mother left, Usagi-H looked at Ami-M.  
  
"Ami's mother seems like a very nice person," Usagi-H said.  
  
"Well, it is natural for mothers to love their daughters," Ami-M said. "Don't you think?"  
  
"Yes, Michiru-mama," Usagi-H replied, before catching herself. "I mean, 'Ami-chan'."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ami-M and Usagi-H slept that night in Ami's room--sharing Ami's bed, with Luna sleeping in Ami's closet--and then woke up at an early hour to get ready for school. Usagi-H immediately pointed out that this wasn't like Usagi--who would rather sleep in late and be tardy--but Ami-M pointed out that Ami wouldn't let her best friend be tardy.  
  
But Ami-M almost made a faux-pas of her own when she stood before Ami's bathroom mirror and considered applying some mascara and eyeliner.  
  
"Michiru-mama," Usagi-H said, "Ami never wears makeup."  
  
"What a pity," Ami-M sighed. "And she's so pretty, too."  
  
"It's a good thing she's not *too* pretty, though," Usagi-H said slyly.  
  
"Oh, Haruka would never cheat on me," Ami-M replied--though, ultimately, she decided against the makeup.  
  
Ami-M and Usagi-H then gathered up their book bags, said 'ja mata' to Dr. Mizuno (who was still asleep), and headed off to school.  
  
At Juuban High School--despite Usagi-H's initial trepidation--the actual day went surprisingly well. Naru did tell Usagi-H there was something different about her look today--something she couldn't quite put her finger on--but Usagi-H was spared from responding when Umino suggested that Usagi looked very cute today; in response to that, Naru gave Umino's forearm a twisting pinch.  
  
"Ow!" cried Umino. "Gomen nasai!"  
  
Perhaps the hardest thing for Usagi-H to manage was trying not to act too smart--something which all the Senshi agreed was crucial to an effective Usagi performance. Hotaru herself was home-schooled by the Outer Senshi so she found the chance to be with regular schoolchildren again very exciting--but she nonetheless decided to take a few naps in class anyway just to stay in character. And just before lunch, when she had to take a practice English test, she decided not to think too hard about any of the questions. This resulted in a score of 55%--which Hotaru thought was believably low, but which the teacher found suspiciously high.  
  
"I'd suspect you were cheating," the teacher said, handing back the test, "but even you aren't dense enough to cheat and still flunk anyway."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Usagi-H replied--wondering just how absent-minded Usagi really was.  
  
*"How did Usagi ever get into high school in the first place?"* Usagi-H whispered to Ami-M, once she returned to her seat.  
  
*"Yeah,"* Ami-M replied, *"I've been wondering about that myself."*  
  
Ami-M, for her part, had a much easier time impersonating Ami from an academic point of view; none of her teachers seemed to be the least bit surprised that she knew the answer to every question in every subject before everybody else. She did nearly slip up during lunchtime, though, when she came upon Naru showing Usagi-H, Makoto and Minako a pink outfit she liked in a fashion magazine.  
  
"Oh my God!" Ami-M gasped. "Naru, you do *not* want to wear a pink outfit with your red hair and pale skin!"  
  
"I tried to tell her that," Minako agreed, nodding wisely.  
  
Usagi-H, Makoto and Naru, however, looked at Ami-M as if she'd suddenly been possessed by a youma.  
  
"I mean," Ami-M said quickly, "that's what I've heard..."  
  
Ami-M looked around desperately.  
  
"Um, I think I have an overdue book at the library! Ja ne!"  
  
Whereupon, Ami-M beat a hasty retreat.  
  
Naru glanced at Usagi-H.  
  
"Is Ami feeling all right?" Naru asked.  
  
"Well it's all that studying, you know," Usagi-H suggested. "Makes her crazy."  
  
"Well, at least *you'll* never have to worry about that," Naru said.  
  
"Thanks, Naru-chan..." Usagi-H said--before she realized she'd been insulted.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Eventually, the school day came to an end, and Ami-M walked Usagi-H home to the Tsukino residence; this was a moment Usagi-H had been dreading, since she didn't want to be apart from Michiru, but she summoned her courage as she remembered this entire masquerade was being done for the sake of the real Usagi and Ami.  
  
"Konnichiwa, Ami-san," Ikuko said to Ami-M; "I hope Usagi wasn't too much trouble yesterday."  
  
"No," Ami-M replied; "we had a very productive study session."  
  
"Actually," Usagi-H admitted, "I did do pretty well on my English test..."  
  
Usagi-H produced her test.  
  
"Usagi," Ikuko exclaimed, "this is wonderful! 55%!"  
  
Ikuko suddenly hugged Usagi-H, and Usagi-H glanced at Ami-M, who simply shrugged.  
  
"I knew you could do it," Ikuko said, "if you'd just apply yourself!"  
  
"Er...yeah."  
  
"Tsukino-san," Ami-M said, "since Usagi benefited from our last study session, do you suppose she could stay over at my place again tonight?"  
  
Ikuko considered that for a moment, then agreed.  
  
"Oh, sure, why not; I know you're responsible, Ami-san."  
  
"Arigatou," Usagi-H said to Ikuko, trying to remember how Usagi would act at home. "Um...can I take some cookies with me? Or some pie?"  
  
"Oh, just take the whole pie," Ikuko said, handing Usagi-H the lemon pie she'd just baked, and adding a bag of candies and cookies for good measure. "But remember to share with Ami and her mother."  
  
Ami-M then called Dr. Mizuno to confirm that it was okay for Usagi-H to spend the night again, and then set off with Usagi-H. As they were walking toward Ami's apartment, though, Usagi-H expressed concern about getting Usagi in trouble later.  
  
"Do you think I should have been more stupid in school?" Usagi-H asked.  
  
"Well, maybe a little..." Ami-M replied with a chuckle. "Usagi isn't really 'stupid', though; it's just that her mind is usually somewhere else."  
  
"That sounds more polite than calling her a baka."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Continuing to walk along, Ami-M paused for a moment before continuing.  
  
"I don't know if you've noticed," she said, "but Mamoru is following us."  
  
"He is?" Usagi-H asked, fighting an urge to look. "Oh, I feel so awful for him! Shouldn't we see if he's all right...?"  
  
"It's your decision," Ami-M said. "But remember: he and Usagi are intimate."  
  
Usagi-H blushed.  
  
"I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps it would be awkward."  
  
Some more minutes passed, then Usagi-H asked a question.  
  
*"Michiru-mama,"* she whispered, *"have you ever been with a man yourself? I mean, in *that* way..."*  
  
Now it was Ami-M's turn to blush, but she answered honestly.  
  
*"Haruka is quite enough for me,"* Ami-M whispered back, *"but we don't necessarily expect you to be like us, if that's what you're getting at."*  
  
*"Hai. That's what I was getting at."*  
  
A few minutes later, Ami-M and Usagi-H arrived at Ami's apartment, and Dr. Mizuno was glad she was actually able to catch them before she left for work again. Having woken up late in the morning, Dr. Mizuno decided to make dinner for Ami just in case she was home before it got too late, and Usagi-H was inwardly happy that she'd resisted the temptation to further delve into her role by dawdling at the Game Center Crown. In the event, Dr. Mizuno's homemade meatloaf was quite good--so much so that Usagi-H first expressed surprise that it was so good--then embarrassment for implying that she thought it might be otherwise.  
  
"Oh, that's all right," Dr. Mizuno said; "people are surprised I can cook, but I actually forced myself to learn when I first got married, since I thought a mother should know how to do that."  
  
"I think it's wonderful," Ami-M offered.  
  
"Oh, you always say that," Dr. Mizuno said. "But you're very sweet, both of you."  
  
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Mizuno left, and Luna emerged from her hiding place.  
  
"Everybody seems to love Usagi and Ami," Ami-M said, as she helped Usagi-H wash the dishes. "It'll be hard to go back to being us again."  
  
"Don't you think we like you?" Luna asked the Outer Senshi.  
  
"I'm sure you do," Ami-M said, "but we Outer Senshi do stand apart from the rest of you. Our mission is different, and we can't afford to get too close to anyone."  
  
"That seems very sad."  
  
"It is our way," Ami-M said, pausing to smile at Usagi-H. "But at least we have each other."  
  
Just then, a yowling sound came from the front door.  
  
"Oh, I hope you don't mind," Luna said, "but I asked Artemis if he could come help with my analysis."  
  
"I'd better go let him in," Usagi-H said, hurrying to let the white cat into the apartment.  
  
"Konnichiwa, minna-san," Artemis said. Then he said to Luna, "You said you needed some help with the subspace field equations?"  
  
Luna nodded, but then--before she could answer--a blazing white light came pouring through the living room windows, and Ami's minicomputer started beeping loudly.  
  
"The portal is opening!" Luna announced.  
  
Unfortunately, even the Outer Senshi were too stunned to react; by the time Ami-M reached the living room door to slide it open, the portal had already closed. However, it had left something behind.  
  
"Help!" came a strangely familiar voice from beyond the patio. "Help me--!!!"  
  
"That sounds like Artemis," Luna said, glancing at Artemis.  
  
"Hotaru," Ami-M said, "henshin yo!"  
  
Usagi-H nodded, and both Outer Senshi quickly spoke their transformation phrases.  
  
"Saturn Crystal Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Neptune Crystal Power, Make-Up!"  
  
Whereupon the 'Inner Senshi' transformed into their true selves as Outer Senshi. Taking this as their cue to find cover, Luna and Artemis then darted under a nearby coffee table, but continued to watch closely as Sailorneptune ventured out to the patio to investigate, with Sailorsaturn following close behind. Once she reached the patio, Sailorneptune seemed confused for a moment--unable to identify the source of the catlike shrieking they'd just heard--but then she finally leaned over the edge of the patio and saw a frightened white cat clinging precariously to the side of the building. With Sailorsaturn looking on protectively, Sailorneptune reached down to grab the cat by the scruff of its neck, then carried the cat inside the apartment.  
  
"I guess it really was Artemis," Sailorneptune said, holding the cat at arm's length.  
  
"Hey, that's not me!" Artemis protested, emerging from under the coffee table.  
  
"All right," Sailorneptune said to the strange cat, "then who are you?"  
  
The strange cat appeared too frightened to respond, glancing back and forth between Sailorneptune and Sailorsaturn.  
  
"Baka neko," Sailorsaturn muttered, bringing her Silence Glaive close to the cat's head. "Speak!"  
  
"All right, all right, I'll talk!" the cat said, hanging helplessly in Sailorneptune's grip. "My name is Artemis! But how did I get here? I was just with Kuroiami a moment ago..."  
  
The Outer Senshi looked at each other in confusion, then looked at Luna.  
  
"All right, 'Artemis'," Luna said, hopping up on top of the coffee table. "Where did you just come from?"  
  
"Mugen Palace," the cat replied, "the same as you!"  
  
Sailorsaturn drew back the Silence Glaive.  
  
"Do you mean Mugen Academy? But that was destroyed years ago..."  
  
But Luna was now nodding sagaciously.  
  
"I understand," Luna said to her friends; "this Artemis--let's call him 'Artemis2'--comes from a parallel universe. Perhaps the same parallel universe where Usagi and Ami are."  
  
"Why, that bitch..." Artemis2 muttered, suddenly seeming to realize something.  
  
"What are you muttering about?" Sailorneptune asked.  
  
"That bitch Kuroiami must have sent me here! She said she'd take me back to the Moon with her, but instead she zapped me back here instead!"  
  
"This is all very confusing," Artemis said.  
  
"It is now," Luna agreed, "but we'll see if we can't make some sense of it. Sailorsaturn, do you think you could find some paint or a marker or something that we could mark Artemis2 with? I'd like to make sure we don't confuse him with Artemis1."  
  
"Hai," Sailorsaturn said, heading off to Ami's room, and returning a few seconds later with a big black marker.   
  
Sailorneptune then set Artemis2 down on a kitchen counter and held him there while Sailorsaturn--transferring the Silence Glaive to her left hand--drew a wide black stripe down his back.  
  
"That will do," Luna said. "Now, Artemis2, you'll tell us everything you know about this 'Kuroiami', the dimensional portal you came through, and the world you came from."  
  
"Everything?" Artemis2 asked, nervously--looking up at Sailorsaturn as she held the Silence Glaive menacingly.  
  
"Yes," Luna said to Artemis2. "Everything. I must insist." 


	11. A Meeting on the Moon

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.  
  
As an aside, I thought I might clarify how much time has passed in the two dimensions so far; only two days have passed in the world left by Usagi and Ami, but four days have passed in Kuroiami's world since Usagi and Ami first arrived there. I realize I was a little fuzzy about that, so I'm sorry if that was unclear.  
  
Since time passes at the same rate in both dimensions (the original world, and Kuroiami's world), the events in Chapter 10 actually occurred 2 days before the events in Chapter 9; therefore, it follows that the Luna in Chapter 10 either hasn't figured out how to send a rescue party after Usagi and Ami yet, or the rescue party has already come to Kuroiami's world and just hasn't shown up in the story yet. I'm sorry if that was confusing, but I didn't want readers to think that Usagi and Ami's friends had completely forgotten about them.  
  
This story is almost done, I promise--there's just a few more chapters to go--so once again I thank everyone who was kind enough to comment on the story so far.)  
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER ELEVEN  
  
After Ami heard that Hoshi had come to visit the Tsukino house, she fell into a state of shock that surprised no one so much as herself. She wanted to participate in the discussion of the Moon trip with Usagi and the Outer Senshi, but she was simply too overwhelmed to focus.  
  
"You should rest," Hotaru suggested, taking Ami by the hand.  
  
"I don't know what's come over me..." Ami said, shaking uncontrollably; "I'm usually not like this..."  
  
"Don't worry," Hotaru replied, guiding Ami to the master bedroom. "If you lie down for a bit, I'm sure you'll feel better."  
  
With Usagi looking on from the door of the bedroom, Hotaru then helped Ami into bed and closed the blinds on the windows.  
  
"Gomen nasai," Ami said, "I don't mean to be such an inconvenience..."  
  
"It's the least I can do," Hotaru said. "You took care of me, after all."  
  
Hotaru then leaned over Ami on the bed and kissed her lightly on the forehead.  
  
"Your son is very handsome," Hotaru said softly, "and very charming; I'm sure he'll look forward to seeing you too, when we get to the Moon."  
  
Ami smiled, and Usagi smiled as well. Soon Ami's eyes were closed and she appeared to be asleep.  
  
Is that Hotaru's healing power? Usagi wondered. Perhaps I *was* wrong about her...  
  
Haruka then walked up behind Usagi and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
*"How is Ami?"* Haruka whispered.  
  
*"She seems to be resting,"* Usagi whispered back.  
  
*"I'm glad. Can you come with me for a moment?"*  
  
Usagi obliged, following Haruka back to the kitchen with Haruka, where Luna, Michiru and Setsuna were waiting.  
  
"Usagi," Luna said, "I think we should discuss Kuroiami's invitation to join her on the Moon."  
  
"Shouldn't we wait for Ami and Hotaru to join us?" Usagi asked.  
  
"That depends," Luna said. "Have you ever been to the Moon yourself?"  
  
"I went there once, with my friends. We met a hologram of Queen Serenity, who told us of the last days of the Moon Kingdom."  
  
"Well, you obviously know more about the Moon Kingdom than any of us; please, join us at the table."  
  
Usagi moved to join Luna and the Outer Senshi at the kitchen table; Michiru--ever-gracious--gave Usagi a cup of green tea before sitting down herself.  
  
"I know that I once lived on the Moon," Luna said, "but I only remember bits and pieces..."  
  
"Likewise for us," Michiru added.  
  
"...so, what can you tell us of the Moon, in your world?"  
  
"Well," Usagi said, "we weren't there long, but Queen Serenity awakened our memories of the Moon Kingdom, and the terrible war with Queen Beryl. The Moon Kingdom was a peaceful place, ruled by the wise and beautiful Serenity, but the people of the Earth were envious of the Moon Kingdom, and Beryl took advantage of that envy to justify her war against the Moon."   
  
"We know that Sailorsaturn destroyed the Moon Kingdom after its defeat," Setsuna said. "Did this also happen in your world?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"If we accept Kuroiami's invitation, though," Haruka said, "will we not require space suits or some form of life support?"  
  
"I asked Ami about that once," Usagi said. "She said the Moon Palace is still surrounded by a breathable atmosphere, sustained by the same magic that hides the Moon Kingdom from space probes and lunar landers."  
  
"Still, Kuroiami could just purge the atmosphere, couldn't she? She could kill us just like *that*."  
  
Haruka snapped her fingers.  
  
"I've thought about that," Luna said, "which is why I've been working on a little invention..."  
  
Luna dashed off to her workshop, and returned with a small golden bracelet.  
  
"It's pretty," Haruka said, holding up the bracelet. "What's it do?"  
  
"It's a teleportation device," Luna replied. "I only have this one now, but I'll have the rest ready by the morning."  
  
"How does it work?" Michiru asked.  
  
"It's really quite simple," Luna said, hopping up onto the kitchen table to explain. "The bracelets store a portion of your teleport energy when you teleport, then release it again if you need to make an emergency teleport back to Earth."  
  
"Handy," Haruka said.  
  
"But not perfect," Luna replied. "If one of you teleports home, the whole group will teleport with you--whether they want to or not. Obviously, you'll have to use the bracelets carefully."  
  
"Actually," Usagi asked, "would our Senshi powers work in a space suit?"  
  
Luna and the Outer Senshi looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
"I don't know," Luna said. "But I don't know how to build a spacesuit, so this will have to do."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Although the discussion in the kitchen set the stage for a visit to the Moon, the Senshi agreed not to make a firm decision until they could speak with Ami and Hotaru as well. That came later in the evening, after Ami woke up. At dinner, Ami and Hotaru both agreed they should get to the Moon as soon as possible.  
  
"Are you sure you're feeling up to it?" Usagi asked Ami.  
  
"I'm fine," Ami replied. "I just had a little shock there."  
  
"Hoshi is probably up there, you know," Haruka said. "What will you do if you meet him?"  
  
Ami considered that question for a long moment before responding.  
  
"I don't know; what would *you* do if Michiru died right in front of you, then you found out she was still alive?"  
  
"Well, I'd be upset if she died," Haruka said, glancing at Michiru, "but I'd be happy she was still alive."  
  
Michiru smiled at Haruka.  
  
"I'm sure Ami will be fine," Hotaru said. "She's very strong inside."  
  
"Arigatou," Ami said--though she also lifted an eyebrow, wondering just exactly what Hotaru knew about her and how she knew it.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Early the next morning, Luna's bracelets were ready and the Senshi (as-yet untransformed) put them on before walking to their staging area in the back yard.  
  
"You should probably transform now," Luna recommended, and the Senshi agreed.  
  
"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Pluto Planet Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Uranus Planet Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Neptune Planet Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Saturn Planet Power, Make-Up!"  
  
"Moon Eternal, Make-Up!"  
  
This last transformation astounded the Outer Senshi; not only did Sailormoon look very different than the Sailormoon they remembered (especially with her wings), but she also radiated far more power than the Sailormoon of this world.  
  
"It's been a while since I transformed," Sailormoon said to Sailormercury. "I almost forgot what it felt like..."  
  
"Is that your normal form?" Sailoruranus asked.  
  
"I think so," Sailormoon said, looking at herself and turning back and forth. "Why, is there something the matter with my fuku...?"  
  
"Sailormoon's power evolved over time," Sailormercury explained to the Outers. "She was once like the Sailormoon in this world, but your Sailormoon was defeated and captured by Kuroiami before she could experience a similar evolution."  
  
"So much the better," Sailoruranus said, inviting the Sailor Senshi to join her in a circle. "Maybe Kuroiami will get a shock if she messes with you."  
  
Luna, meanwhile, hopped up into Sailormercury's arms, then climbed up onto her shoulders to address the group.  
  
"Minna-san, we should prepare for the teleport."  
  
The Senshi nodded and stepped closer to form a circle; in the process, Sailormoon accidentally poked Sailoruranus in the side with one of her wings.  
  
"Do those wings actually *do* anything," Sailoruranus asked, "or are they just decoration?"  
  
"Mostly decoration."  
  
"How charming," Sailoruranus replied, reaching out to hold hands with Sailormoon and Sailorneptune. Sailorneptune, in turn, held hands with Sailorpluto, Sailorpluto held hands with Sailorsaturn, Sailorsaturn held hands with Sailormercury, and Sailormercury held hands with Sailormoon.  
  
"Is everyone ready?" Luna asked.  
  
"Hai," the Senshi replied, closing their eyes.  
  
"Sailor teleport!" Luna exclaimed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Expecting a trap, the Senshi decided not to teleport directly to the ruins of the Moon Palace, but rather to a point several kilometers to the south. This placed them on a gently rolling gray moonscape north of the Haemus Mountains, overlooking the slightly less-gray expanses of the Sea of Serenity.  
  
"We can breathe," Sailorneptune noted, taking a step to test her weight. "And the gravity is just like on Earth."  
  
"It's magic," Sailormercury replied, letting Luna hop down off her shoulders, and taking out her minicomputer to scan their surroundings. "The same magic sustains the atmosphere, and hides the ruins of the Moon Kingdom from astronomers on Earth..."  
  
"Didn't the Americans land quite close to here?" Luna asked.  
  
"Indeed. As a matter of fact, the descent stage from Apollo 15 is probably still standing just beyond those mountains to the south there. If they'd been off-course just a little bit, they would have gotten quite a surprise."  
  
"Nonetheless," Sailorneptune said, "this seems like a very bleak place. Was it like this during the Moon Kingdom?"  
  
"No," Sailormoon said. "There was an ocean here, and this would have been the shoreline where we are now. Sometimes it was very cold; during the wintertime, the lakes near the palace would freeze and people would skate on the ice. But usually it was very pleasant."  
  
"This was Saturn's work, then," Luna said. "When the Moon Kingdom came to an end, she must have used her power to annihilate all traces of the older world."  
  
"Do you remember that?" Sailorpluto asked Sailorsaturn.  
  
"Only vaguely," Sailorsaturn replied. "But I'm sure that Mercury is correct."  
  
"Anyway," Sailormercury said, "we want to head north. The Moon Palace is just over the horizon."  
  
With Sailoruranus in the lead, the Senshi then headed north toward a horizon that was surprisingly close (since the Moon's circumference was less than a third that of the Earth, and the horizon was therefore much closer). The sky was a deep velvet black full of stars, beautiful in its own way, but Sailormercury couldn't help but marvel at the terrible loneliness of this place where nothing moved or even lived. The gray lunar regolith--a powdery mixture of rock fragments and dust--covered everything like a shroud.  
  
But the palace hadn't quite come into view when Sailormercury's computer started beeping. Activating her VR visor, she looked around quickly.  
  
"What is it?" Sailoruranus asked.  
  
"There's something approaching--something radiating a lot of energy..."  
  
Then suddenly it came into view, and none of the Senshi needed a minicomputer to tell it was trouble. Formed of flames, it had the rough shape of a four-legged beast, and a snarling sound issued from its vaguely-formed head.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Sailoruranus asked Sailormoon.  
  
"I don't know," Sailormoon admitted; "I have no memory of such a creature..."  
  
"Perhaps it isn't native to the Moon," Sailormercury speculated.  
  
"It doesn't look friendly, whatever it is," Sailorsaturn said, lifting the Silence Glaive. "I'll put up a forcefield..."  
  
The flaming beast leapt before she could act, though, hurling itself through the air at Sailormoon. Sailormoon shrieked, then shrieked again as the flames of the beast enveloped her.  
  
"Mercury! Help!"  
  
"Yoshi!" Sailormercury replied, forming a ball of ice with her hands; "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody...!"  
  
But the ice simply flew through the monster when Sailormercury launched her attack.  
  
"It's not a physical creature," Sailormercury said, after *World Shaking*, *Deep Submerge* and *Dead Scream* all failed to have any effect on it. "It's more like a field of energy, or a ghost..."  
  
By then, the flames had overwhelmed Sailormoon and she collapsed.  
  
"How do we fight a ghost?" Sailorsaturn asked, holding the beast at bay with her glaive.  
  
What we really need is Sailormars, Sailormercury thought. Damn it! My powers are useless here...  
  
But then, suddenly, a strange voice rang out behind the Senshi...  
  
"Galactica Super String!"  
  
...and something like the light of a thousand suns came flying across the sky and blasted the beast--consuming it in the mouth of whirling vortex. For Mercury--who was looking right at the beast with her visor--the sight was awe-inspiring, as she realized that the awesome power had unfolded space-time itself to consume the entity before them.  
  
Then Sailormercury collected herself, turned to the source of the power and was stunned to see a beautiful woman in a gleaming white gown and extremely long red hair standing atop a nearby mound--Queen Galaxia. Two soldiers with golden staves [SailorChi and SailorPhi] stood beside her, and the three of them blazed with energy in Sailormercury's VR display.  
  
"Oh my God!" Luna exclaimed; "it's Queen Galaxia!"  
  
The Outer Senshi--who knew of Galaxia only as a distant ruler they had never seen--were just as awestruck as Sailormercury for a moment, but quickly collected themselves and dropped to one knee before the queen.   
  
"Your Majesty," Sailoruranus said.  
  
Even Luna bowed--after a fashion--so Sailormercury quickly followed suit.  
  
"Please rise," Galaxia said; "there's no need to stand on ceremony here."  
  
Galaxia then descended from the mound with her escort, and walked directly to Sailormoon. Still awed, Luna, Sailormercury and the Outer Senshi could only look on as Galaxia knelt beside Sailormoon, touched her head and brought her back to consciousness   
  
*"...just five more minutes...* Sailormoon muttered.  
  
"You've had quite a shock," Galaxia said. "Are you all right?"  
  
Sailormoon's eyes focused on Galaxia's.  
  
"Galaxia--?! What are *you* doing here?"  
  
"Forgive me," Galaxia said, helping Sailormoon to stand, "do I know you?"  
  
"Well, sure you know me! We fought, then you left to guide the star seeds..."  
  
"That sounds very beautiful," Galaxia said, "but I don't recall meeting you before..."  
  
"Your Majesty," Luna said, "Sailormoon here--and Sailormercury--are visitors from another dimension."  
  
"Yes," Sailormercury added. "There was a Sailorgalaxia in our world as well--a terrible villain bent on conquest--but she and Sailormoon were eventually reconciled as friends."  
  
Galaxia's eyebrows lifted.  
  
"A villain?" Galaxia said, turning to SailorChi and SailorPhi with amusement. "Well, I've been called worse."  
  
"I'm not suggesting *you're* a villain, though," Sailormercury quickly added, "Your Majesty."  
  
"How did you come to enter this dimension...?" SailorChi asked.  
  
"...and why do happen to be here on this moon now?" SailorPhi added.  
  
"Sailormoon was abducted by Kuroiami," Sailormercury replied, "my alter-ego in this dimension, and taken to the planet Earth. Eventually, with the help of my friends here--Luna, Sailoruranus, Sailorneptune, Sailorpluto and Sailorsaturn--Kuroiami's fortress on the Earth was destroyed, and Sailormoon was freed. However, the Sailormoon of this world is still enslaved by Kuroiami, and I have no idea how we'll return to our own world; so--when Kuroiami extended an invitation to visit her on the Moon--Sailormoon and I agreed to come along with the other Senshi here."  
  
Sailormoon nodded.  
  
"Yeah, what she said."  
  
"That's very interesting," Galaxia said. "I myself was invited here by Queen Kuroiami, who claimed that local insurgents had destroyed her rightful kingdom and forced her to flee the planet Earth."  
  
"And I suppose we're the 'local insurgents'?" Sailormercury asked.  
  
"One imagines," Galaxia replied.  
  
"Well, you don't believe her, do you?" Sailoruranus blurted out. "The woman is a treacherous--"  
  
Sailorneptune's quick cough prevented Sailoruranus from finishing the sentence.  
  
"Actually," Galaxia said, "I haven't even met Queen Kuroiami yet, so--as of yet--I have no basis to form an opinion."  
  
"You must remember," SailorChi started to say, "Queen Galaxia is the queen of our entire galaxy..."  
  
"...a galaxy," SailorPhi added, "with untold thousands of star systems..."  
  
"...so she can't be intimately familiar with all local circumstances."  
  
"But I shall endeavor to be fair," Galaxia assured the party from Earth. "In the meantime, it sounds like we're all headed in the same direction, so would you care to walk with us?"  
  
The Earth party agreed, and presently the group--inflated to nine women and one cat--started on its way north once again.  
  
"I was going to ask," Galaxia said, "what was that creature that was attacking you?"  
  
"Actually," Sailormercury said, "I was going to ask you that."  
  
"I think I know," Luna said. "It came to me after Mercury said it might be a ghost. Among her forces, Queen Beryl employed a beast called a spirit reaver--a type of demon that fed on the souls of the dead. Quite probably, this reaver has slumbered here since the end of the Moon Kingdom, crippled by Sailorsaturn but not destroyed."  
  
"Because it was already dead?" Sailormercury guessed.  
  
"Precisely."  
  
"Lucky for us you came along when you did, then," Sailormoon said to Galaxia.  
  
"Perhaps it was predestined," Sailorpluto suggested.  
  
"Well, you're the Senshi of Time," Sailorneptune said; "wouldn't you know?"  
  
"Well, Neptune, I haven't memorized *every* event in history," Sailorpluto replied. "Nor would I bother; some events are more likely to occur than others, but the future is never fixed in stone."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Meanwhile--on a hilltop not more than 500 meters away--a young man with blue hair, a blue cape and a military tunic and trousers was watching the progress of the party with interest. He had seen the arrival of the Sailor Senshi from the Earth, the battle with the spirit reaver, and the later arrival of Queen Galaxia and her party, but his eyes were always drawn to one person in particular--the smallest of the human visitors.  
  
How beautiful she is, Hoshi thought; Sailorsaturn. Even her name is beautiful...  
  
Sailormercury, he saw as well, but his feelings toward her were altogether different. Just this day, Kuroiami had confessed to Hoshi that Sailormercury was his true mother--far in the future of her own dimension--yet it was Kuroiami who had raised him, and who had brought him back to life after he was dead. Thus, Hoshi looked upon Sailormercury much as he might look upon a distant ancestor; he respected her, but she was not his true mother.  
  
It is a dangerous game that Mother is playing. The combined power of these Senshi could easily destroy her, this Moon and the Earth altogether. But I owe my life to her; it is not my place to question her plans...  
  
Hoshi then dematerialized and reappeared inside the Moon Palace in a shower of cherry blossoms. Not unlike the days of its former glory, the Moon Palace now shone with light and various ornamentations had been added to the interior to show respect for the visiting queen of the galaxy. Indeed, Generals Zoisite and Nephrite were supervising the work of several youma as Hoshi appeared, and they exchanged bows with Hoshi as he passed.  
  
*"You see?"* Zoisite whispered to Nephrite, *"cherry blossoms. Obvious proof that I'm his actual father."*  
  
*"What nonsense,"* Nephrite replied. *"I taught him how to teleport myself when he was just a baby."*  
  
*"Ah, but he didn't make cherry blossoms back then."*  
  
*"Perhaps--being an impressionable youth--he thinks you're cool. An easy mistake to make."*  
  
*"Such jealousy,"* Zoisite said airily, walking away from Nephrite.  
  
Hoshi, meanwhile, entered the throne room and found his mother discussing something with a pair of servant youma.  
  
"Oh, Hoshi Dear," Kuroiami said, "do you have your report?"  
  
"Yes, Mother," Hoshi said, bowing slightly. "Galaxia's party, and the party from Earth, have both met and are approaching the palace."  
  
"How delightful. Almost as if I had planned it that way."  
  
"Did you *not* plan it that way?"  
  
"No. Just a happy accident of fortune. So tell me, is Sailormercury with them?"  
  
"Yes, Mother, and Sailormoon as well. She is more powerful than our Sailormoon--the one you hold in captivity."  
  
Kuroiami shook her head, walking across the floor toward Hoshi.  
  
"Hoshi, dear, she's not my 'captive'. It's simply the case that she can no longer function on her own, apart from the dream world of her imagination."  
  
"Which you yourself imprisoned her in."  
  
"Such a precocious child," Kuroiami said, placing her hand alongside Hoshi's cheek. "But let us not speak of such unpleasantness. I want everything to be *perfect* for our honored guests."  
  
Kuroiami then spun away from Hoshi and caused her black fuku to transform into a silver ball gown.  
  
"Do you think this suits me better?" Kuroiami asked. "Or this...?"  
  
Her dress changed once again into a deep blue evening gown, slit up the side.  
  
"I think black suits you better."  
  
"Perhaps you're right," Kuroiami said, changing into a strapless black gown that was also slit up the side. "This was the very dress I wore the night you were conceived. Or re-conceived, I should say."  
  
"How pleasant. May I go prepare to meet our guests now?"  
  
"Oh yes, please do."  
  
* * * * *   
  
A few minutes later, the combined Galactic and Earth parties left the soft sand of the Haemus foothills and entered the rocky plateau surrounding the Crystal Palace (especially appreciated by the women wearing high heels, such as Sailorneptune and Galaxia herself). As for the palace itself, it was not at all what Sailormercury expected; instead of a jumble of ruins, the palace stood fully intact and restored, shining with illumination and bedecked with festive bunting and other ornamentation.  
  
Strangest of all, though, was a feature that definitely hadn't been there in days of old--a huge chessboard easily 50 meters on a side. Activating her VR visor once again, Sailormercury discerned that the playing pieces were holographic images--some even taller than Sailoruranus--but she was much more interested in the projection system itself; it was radiating some very unusual energy--not unlike the radiation from Galaxia's *Galactica Super String* power.  
  
"Queen Kuroiami must like chess," Galaxia noted.  
  
"We played a few games," Sailormercury said, shutting off her visor, "when I was her 'guest'."  
  
"Mercury is a very good player," Sailormoon interjected.  
  
"We must play some time then," Galaxia suggested to Sailormercury, with a smile.  
  
Sailormercury didn't have time to reply, for suddenly a blare of trumpets rang forth and the Senshi found themselves surrounded by a blur of activity. A red carpet appeared out of nowhere, along with dozens of youma in ceremonial attire, and suddenly four men and a teenage boy were standing at the top of the stairs leading into the palace itself--Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, Kunzite and Hoshi.   
  
*"The enemy!"* Sailormoon whispered, bracing herself.  
  
*"They're just Kuroiami's generals,"* Sailormercury reassured Sailormoon--though she was no less shaken by the site of Hoshi, now indeed much older than she last remembered him.  
  
"Honored guests," Hoshi said, "greetings. Queen Kuroiami welcomes you."  
  
Hoshi, for his part, tried not to stare too obviously at Sailorsaturn, but he didn't do a very good job of it and Sailorsaturn blushed accordingly. But Sailorsaturn wasn't the only one who noticed that.  
  
Oh my goodness! Sailormercury thought, blushing as well; does my baby have a girlfriend...? 


	12. The Hall of Light

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.  
  
In answer to a question from Kaiya, Sailormercury did leave her minicomputer behind, but Luna gave her Kuroiami's old minicomputer as a replacement; I'm glad you mentioned that, since it helped me think of a way into the conversation at the palace luncheon in this chapter.)  
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER TWELVE  
  
For Sailormercury, approaching Hoshi before the Moon Palace was torture. Would Hoshi remember their last meeting? Would Kuroiami have told him the truth about his birth? Or would Hoshi merely see Sailormercury as a stranger?  
  
And what's going on between him and Saturn?...  
  
In the event, Hoshi was neither especially cold nor familiar; as Sailormercury climbed the steps of the palace with Luna and her fellow Senshi--Sailormoon, the Outer Senshi, Queen Galaxia, SailorChi and SailorPhi--Hoshi caught her eye and bowed politely. Sailormercury's heart fluttered, but what did the gesture mean?  
  
At the moment, Sailormercury couldn't afford to ponder the question; as the Senshi entered the grand ballroom of the palace, they came into the presence of Queen Kuroiami herself, and it was all Sailormercury could manage just to keep from shaking. Kuroiami was virtually her twin physically; they had the same face, the same hair, the same figure. But to Sailormercury, Kuroiami was the essence of wickedness; everything about her spoke of it--from her casual disdain for human life, to her exploitation of her friends, to her flaunting of common decency.  
  
Honestly, Ami thought, frowning at Kuroiami's black dress; her breasts are practically spilling out of that gown!  
  
*"Ami-chan,"* Sailormoon whispered, *"she looks just like you!"*  
  
*"She looks nothing like me!"* Sailormercury whispered back.  
  
Kuroiami, meanwhile, was focusing her attention on Queen Galaxia, bowing before the sovereign deferentially.  
  
"Your Majesty," Kuroiami said; "you honor us with your presence."  
  
"It was the least I could do," Galaxia said; "I would have delayed longer--in light of your recent maternity--but I was given to understand you're feeling better now."  
  
"Maternity?" Sailormercury said. "What maternity?"  
  
"Oh, didn't you know?" Kuroiami replied. "I gave birth to Hoshi two days ago."  
  
*"I knew she looked awfully busty,"* Sailormoon whispered.  
  
"How wonderful!" Galaxia said. "Is the child here on the Moon?"  
  
"Oh, he's right here," Kuroiami said, gliding across the floor to stand next to Hoshi, who in turn was standing next to Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Kunzite. "Isn't he just precious?"  
  
"He seems rather...large. Is that normal in this solar system?"  
  
"No, he had the benefit of magic."  
  
"Does the young man have a father...?" SailorChi said.  
  
"...or was he conceived by magic as well?" SailorPhi added.  
  
"No, it wasn't magic," Kuroiami said, glancing at the generals. "These gentlemen are Hoshi's father."  
  
*"I do believe I'm going to vomit,"* Sailormercury muttered.  
  
*"Be strong,"* Sailorsaturn said, putting a hand on Sailormercury's shoulder.  
  
"That's all fine," Sailoruranus said impatiently, "but why have you asked us here, Kuroiami?"  
  
"I mean you no harm," Kuroiami replied, "if that's what you're asking. I suspect Her Majesty Galaxia may have already told you, but I invited her here to intercede in our conflict. Insofar as you are party to the conflict, I thought it only reasonable that you should be here as well."  
  
"Wait just a minute," Sailorsaturn said, pointing the Silence Glaive at Kuroiami. "What gives *you* the right to speak for Earth, and call upon the queen of the galaxy?"  
  
"My friends," Galaxia said, stepping between Kuroiami and Sailorsaturn, "there is no need for violence; regardless of whether Queen Kuroiami had the right to call me, I am here now and offer my services as a mediator. Will you consent to let me help you arbitrate this matter, and find a settlement agreeable to all?"  
  
Sailormoon nodded her head enthusiastically, before anybody else.  
  
"Sounds sensible to me," she said.  
  
"Quite," Kuroiami said.  
  
"Agreed," Sailorsaturn said, withdrawing her glaive.  
  
"I knew we could come to a civilized understanding," Kuroiami said, with a forced smile. "Before we get down to business, though, I would like to offer the hospitality of the palace to all of my guests. Quarters have been arranged for all of you, and I've taken the liberty of a arranging for a small reception and luncheon in the Grand Hall--if you would be kind enough to join us."  
  
"You might want to freshen up first, though," Hoshi said, glancing at the moon dust covering the Senshi, then turning to the nearby servant youma. "Servants, please show our guests to their quarters."  
  
"Yes, Lord Hoshi," the youma said, moving to escort the guests. Hoshi, though, made a point of personally escorting Sailorsaturn.  
  
"So how was your trip?" Hoshi asked Sailorsaturn. "I hope you didn't have far to walk."  
  
"Just a few kilometers," Sailorsaturn replied. "We would have come straight to the palace, but we didn't trust your mother."  
  
Hoshi smiled.  
  
"Strange. I can't imagine why you'd feel that way."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Freshening up was an easy matter for the Senshi; in the privacy of their quarters, they first transformed out of their Senshi forms, then transformed back and found their fuku automatically cleansed of dirt and dust. Before rejoining the others, though, the Senshi from Earth first met in Sailormoon's room to discuss a few matters of pressing importance.  
  
"I didn't expect Kuroiami to invite us to negotiate," Sailoruranus admitted. "Frankly, I was hoping for a showdown that would settle this once and for all."  
  
"Nonetheless," Sailorpluto said, "it will make a bad impression on Her Majesty if we appear fixed on vengeance--or even worse, disorganized. We must decide what we want, and who will speak for us."  
  
"Uranus is a great leader," Sailormercury said. "I should think she's the natural choice."  
  
"Arigatou," Sailoruranus replied, "but I have no patience for negotiating. Neptune would be better at that."  
  
"But Pluto is older and wiser," Sailorneptune countered.  
  
"Since we recognize the captured Usagi as our princess," Sailorpluto said, "perhaps Eternal Sailormoon would be a better choice. She alone would know what our princess desires for us."  
  
"Me?" Sailormoon said. "Oh, no, I'm no good at this diplomatic stuff...  
  
"But Ami is really bright, and you all seem to trust her. Why not her?"  
  
The Outer Senshi looked at each other and nodded.  
  
"That seems sensible," Sailoruranus said.  
  
"But I don't have any experience as a negotiator..." Sailormercury said quickly. "Perhaps Luna would be a better choice..."  
  
But even Luna agreed with Sailormoon.  
  
"I think you'll do fine, Mercury," Luna said. "And you'll get more respect than a cat would."   
  
"So it's settled then," Sailoruranus said, slapping Sailormercury on the shoulder. "You can represent us."  
  
Sailormercury opened her mouth to speak, but--insofar as Sailoruranus was more-or-less the leader of their little group--she decided not to protest.  
  
"Hai. I'll do my best."  
  
"We still need to decide what we want, though," Sailorsaturn noted. "I imagine most of us would *prefer* Kuroiami's complete annihiliation, but I doubt that Kuroiami would volunteer for that."  
  
"Well," Sailorneptune said, "at the very least, our princess must be returned alive and well."  
  
"And Kuroiami must have no power on Earth," Sailoruranus added.  
  
"Agreed," Sailorpluto said. "Kuroiami must be exiled from the Earth-Moon system--if not from the Solar System altogether."  
  
Sailormercury nodded as the other Senshi spoke, quickly taking out her minicomputer to start taking notes.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Not surprisingly, the reception in the Grand Hall was an awkward affair. Sailormoon and Sailormercury remembered past lives during which they had lived in the Moon Palace of their own world, and it was strange to see the minions of this world's Dark Kingdom setting up house in the same place. And it was worse for the Outer Senshi, who had all they could manage just trying to appear civil. Nonetheless, Galaxia's presence had a mollifying effect; neither the Earth Senshi nor Kuroiami's court wanted to make a bad impression--at least at first.  
  
So, after formal introductions, the two factions broke up into various small groups which basically orbited arounded Galaxia and her escorts. After Sailormercury scanned the saké and champagne and found it safe to drink, the older Outer Senshi helped themselves, but Sailormercury suggested non-alcoholic punch for Sailormoon.  
  
*"I'd stick with the punch,"* Sailormercury recommended, *"unless you want another scene like Mr. Edwards'."*  
  
*"Perhaps you're right,"* Sailormoon replied. *"I did get a little drunk there..."*  
  
Hoshi, meanwhile, was slowly edging himself away from Kuroiami and her generals, and closer to Sailorsaturn--who was also sampling the punch.  
  
"Saturn-san," Hoshi said, "how nice to see you again. Did you find your quarters adequate? If the room is too small, I could have you moved into my room instead."  
  
Sailorsaturn raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You mean while you're still there?"  
  
"No. I meant you could have my room, and I would move somewhere else."  
  
"You're very kind. I'm sure my quarters are perfectly adequate, though."  
  
"Well, I do want to make you comfortable."  
  
"And what makes me so special?"  
  
"Do I need a special reason?"  
  
Sailorsaturn smiled slightly.  
  
"You don't even know me," she said. "Why should you care about me?"  
  
"I know something about you. You were killed, weren't you? And brought back to life?"  
  
"How did you know that?"  
  
"It was something my mother had done, which I did not agree with. But you could say it's one thing we have in common; my mother had both of us killed, and yet we're both still here to enjoy this reception."  
  
Sailorsaturn shook her head, glancing at Kuroiami.  
  
"How can you speak about that--woman--so casually? Even if she is your mother, she's murderous and evil."  
  
"Perhaps. But did you not destroy the Moon Kingdom yourself, a thousand years ago?"  
  
"The Kingdom was already destroyed by Queen Beryl; I simply cleared away the debris, so a new age could begin."  
  
"And will you drop the Silence Glaive again, to end this age?"  
  
"Perhaps I should."  
  
"I hope you'll wait a bit, if you do," Hoshi said. "I've only been alive two days now, and it would be a pity to die again so soon...  
  
"And it would be a pity if you destroyed yourself, using your power. You're very beautiful, and very charming."  
  
Sailorsaturn blushed, despite herself. She wanted to hate Hoshi, but it was very hard to hate him; for all of Kuroiami's influence, he was still Princess Mercury's son.  
  
Why should I feel this way? she thought. He's just a boy--barely more than a child!  
  
But it's amazing, how similar we are. Both of us were born to be slaves, as pawns of evil. In all the world, who else could understand what we feel? Who else could know how it feels, to be used the way we've been used?  
  
Averting her eyes, Sailorsaturn glanced across the room at Sailormercury, who in turn was trying not to look like she was looking back at Hoshi and herself.  
  
"You're very beautiful as well," Sailorsaturn said to Hoshi. "I *would* like to get to know you better, but..."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"Will you do something for me?"  
  
"Pray tell."  
  
"Your mother--your original mother--is consumed with curiosity about you, and it pains me to see her suffer so. Will you speak to her, as a son would speak to his mother?"  
  
Hoshi glanced at Sailormercury--who quickly looked in another direction--then smiled at Hotaru.  
  
"Very well. *If* you'll do something for me."  
  
"Pray tell."  
  
Hoshi leaned in close to Sailorsaturn.  
  
*"Meet me in my room,"* he whispered in her ear, *"at midnight."*  
  
Sailorsaturn's eyes popped open wide with surprise, but Hoshi was already walking away before she could reply.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Since Sailormoon had wandered off to help herself to some appetizers, Sailormercury was alone when Hoshi reached her. Like her companions from Earth, Sailormercury hadn't yet brought herself to speak with Kuroiami directly, and might have ducked a direct meeting with Hoshi too if she thought she could do it without appearing rude. Though she desperately *wanted* to speak with Hoshi, her heart fluttered at the mere sight of his approach.   
  
"Sailormercury," Hoshi said. "I've been remiss in speaking to you; please forgive me."  
  
"That's all right," Sailomercury lied. "You seemed to be busy with Sailorsaturn."  
  
"Oh yes," Hoshi said, smiling openly, "she's very charming. I know I should be frightened of her--because of the power she has--but I don't feel that way at all."  
  
Sailormercury smiled back, feebly.  
  
"Hoshi," Sailormercury said, "is it *true* what Kuroiami said about giving birth to you? I saw you die in Tokyo..."  
  
Sailormercury started crying.  
  
"...and Kuroiami said she killed you, just so she could have her vengeance on me! *Why* did she bring you back to life, then? Why, Hoshi? *Why?*"  
  
"I don't know," Hoshi said, producing a handkerchief for Sailormercury. "Perhaps it wasn't enough for her simply to raise me as her son. Perhaps she felt I was flawed as your son--like a tool that came flawed from the forge, and could only be saved by a second forging."  
  
Sailormercury tried to stop crying, but Hoshi's words only made her cry harder. To make her baby suffer so--how could Kuroiami be so cruel?  
  
"I'm making a scene," Sailormercury sobbed; "I should leave..."  
  
"Here," Hoshi said, taking her arm, "I'll take you to the garden..."  
  
Letting Hoshi lead her, Sailormercury soon found herself in another place familiar from the past--an ornamental garden behind the palace.  
  
"I'm all right," Sailormercury said after a moment, wiping her eyes on the backs of her gloves after Hoshi's handkerchief was soaked. "I just wish..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hoshi, do you *know* what your mother wants? Kuroiami, I mean."  
  
"Do I know her secret plans, do you mean?"  
  
Sailormercury nodded.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm not privy to my mother's plans," Hoshi said. "But I will grant, it is not like her to negotiate if she could simply take what she wants; even Mother can't fight the power of Queen Galaxia, though. Since Mother asked Galaxia to come here, she must have come to accept the futility of her position. Either that, or she has some cunning scheme whose subtlety is beyond my apprehension."  
  
"You seem so sensible," Sailormercury said. "You don't seem like your 'mother' at all--even if she did give birth to you."  
  
"You are my mother as well, Mizuno Ami."  
  
Sailormercury smiled.  
  
"Come," Hoshi said, offering Sailormercury his hand; "the luncheon will be starting soon, and your friends will be wondering where you've gone."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back in the Grand Hall, Sailormercury was just in time to be seated at the table for lunch, finding herself in the peculiar position of being seated across from Hoshi, with Sailormoon on her left side and Zoisite on her right; in this position, Sailormercury was closer to Kuroiami than any of the Earth Senshi.  
  
When the food came out of the kitchen--an eclectic combination of European and Asian fare--Sailormercury wondered if it would be too much of a faux pas to scan the food for poison, as she had the drinks and appetizers served earlier.  
  
Better safe than sorry, she thought, deciding to go ahead and scan it.   
  
"Not that you'd necessarily believe me," Kuroiami said to Sailormercury, "but the food isn't poisoned. It *would* be terribly rude of me to kill you when you just got here."  
  
"One can never be too cautious," Sailormercury replied, setting her minicomputer aside after the scan was done, and picking up her chopsticks to help herself to some rice.  
  
"That computer looks very familiar," Kuroiami said, "May I see it, Mercury-san?"  
  
"If you wish," Sailormercury replied, handing the computer to Zoisite, who in turn handed it to Kunzite, who then handed it to Kuroiami.  
  
"Why yes," Kuroiami exclaimed; "this is my old minicomputer! How delightful!"  
  
"How can you tell, Mother?" Hoshi asked.  
  
"There's a small nick in the case," Kuroiami said, showing the nick to Hoshi. "I haven't seen this computer since long before you were born, but--if memory serves--it got this nick when I threw it at Luna and it bounced off a fire hydrant."  
  
Everyone at the table turned to Luna, who was sitting on the table enjoying a plate of tuna.  
  
"Fortunately, I ducked," Luna said, "but the case was dented, and the computer was broken."  
  
"But you still got it working again," Kuroiami said, before handing the computer back to Sailormercury, via Kunzite and Zoisite.  
  
"Indeed," Luna said. "If only your sick, warped mind were as easy to fix as that computer."  
  
Kuroiami forced another smile, while Sailormoon leaned over next to Sailormercury.  
  
*"Their Luna's a smart-ass, just like ours is."*  
  
"Well," Galaxia said, breaking up the awkward silence, "I must say this Earth fare is very delicious. Is this raw fish...?"  
  
"Sashimi," Jadeite said, "yes. That tilapia happens to be from my African economic region."  
  
"But you must try the tuna," Zoisite said. "That comes from my infinitely superior Asian economic region."  
  
"I'm afraid I must disagree," Nephrite interjected. "My American tuna is superior to your Asian tuna."  
  
"In whose opinion? Yours?"  
  
"No, the highly respected Waffler's International Food Guide."  
  
"Well, of course--that's an American publication."  
  
"Just what are you insinuating?"  
  
"Well, Nephrite," Zoisite said airily, "it's hard to imagine how anything from your American region could be *superior*, when your workers are all so fat, lazy and stupid."  
  
"Whereas your workers," Nephrite shot back, "are all mindless corporate robots."  
  
"Enough already!" Sailoruranus exploded. "Who gives a damn whose fish is better!"  
  
Again there was awkward silence, until Kunzite spoke up.  
  
"Well, my Scottish salmon is pretty good..."  
  
"I'm sure it is," Kuroiami said, touching Kunzite's forearm before addressing the visitors from Earth. "If I may turn to another subject, though, may I ask who will speak on behalf of your group?"  
  
"I've been chosen to speak on behalf of the Earth," Sailormercury said.  
  
"How wonderful," Kuroiami said. "Then Hoshi will your opposite."  
  
Sailormercury glanced at Hoshi with surprise--but of course it made sense; Hoshi was intelligent and charismatic, and doubtless had a fine mind for details.  
  
"If I may ask, Quuen Kuroiami," Galaxia said, "when do you plan to start negotiations? Unfortunately, we can't stay here longer than a week because of other commitments, but we're at your disposal to assist negotiations while we're here."  
  
"We appreciate that," Kuroiami replied. "I would like to begin tomorrow if that's agreeable--the earlier the better. I've set aside my office next to the throne room for the meetings."  
  
"Pardon me," Sailormoon said, "but don't you mean Queen Serenity's office? Or do you plan to make this your permanent residence?"  
  
"Forgive me," Kuroiami replied, forcing yet another smile. "I meant Queen Serenity's office."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Since the Moon was tidally locked to the Earth--causing it to keep the same face turned toward the Earth at all times--a Lunar 'day' was 28 days long, with 14 days of daylight and 14 days of darkness; today--Friday, August 18 on Earth--the sun had already been shining on the western edge of the Sea of Serenity for 11 days, and still wouldn't set for another 3 days. Thus, Sailorsaturn guessed that Hoshi hadn't set Lunar midnight--11 days later--as the time for their midnight rendezvous.  
  
Instead, Hoshi doubtless meant midnight as measured by the palace clocks, coordinated to the Japanese time zone on Earth. Though the sun shone continuously outside, lights inside the palace were dimmed during the 'evening' hours and brightened again in the 'morning'. According to that clock, midnight was roughly 10 hours after the luncheon ended in the Grand Hall.  
  
During the remainder of that Friday, the Earth Senshi occupied themselves variously, and Sailorsaturn spent part of her time with both the Outer Senshi (who explored the palace, looking for a tactical advantage over Kuroiami) and the Inner Senshi (helping Sailormercury and Sailormoon study galactic law in the palace library). However, she said nothing of her meeting with Hoshi, either when the Earth Senshi dined together as a group, or when she pretended to retire for the evening. Though she turned back into Hotaru to be a bit more comfortable out of her fuku, she couldn't sleep as she lay atop her bed in her short black dress, staring at the ceiling.  
  
What does Hoshi want from me? Hotaru wondered. Am I just a diversion to him? Someone to pass the time with...?  
  
Or perhaps his mother suggested this meeting; it would be like her to use her son for strategic advantage, like a pawn in a game of chess...  
  
This seemed like a logical explanation, and Hotaru's pseudo-mother Kaorinite would surely agree.  
  
But even so, Hotaru wondered, what if he *does* love me...?  
  
The cynical heart of Mistress Nine--enmeshed with Hotaru's own--found that ridiculous to imagine, but Hotaru still had a mind of her own. Thus she rose from her bed just before midnight, slipped on her Mary Janes, and walked alone upstairs toward the darkened chambers of Kuroiami's court on the second floor of the palace.  
  
She had come this way with the Outer Senshi earlier in the day--taking advantage of Kuroiami's invitation for the Senshi to 'make themselves at home'--but the servant youma wouldn't permit the Outer Senshi to explore too freely. Thus, though Hotaru was told that Hoshi was quartered in the former quarters of Princess Serenity, her memories of the Moon Kingdom weren't clear enough to tell her precisely where that was, and she didn't dare ask Sailormoon or Sailormercury (lest they ask why she wanted to know).  
  
Fortunately, though, Hoshi had anticipated this possibility and detailed a servant youma to wait for Hotaru at the top of the grand stairway leading up from the downstairs guest quarters.  
  
"Excuse me," Hotaru said, "but can you tell me the way to Lord Hoshi's quarters?"  
  
"I can do better," the youma replied. "I can take you there myself."  
  
Hotaru bit her lip.  
  
"I've been here before...long ago; could you just tell me where it is, so I could find it myself?"  
  
"The corridors here can be confusing; are you certain you don't want a guide...?"  
  
Of course I'm certain! I'm nervous enough as it is!  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
"Very well. If you walk up the corridor to the left, it will take you to an atrium which leads to the Hall of Light; Hoshi-sama is quartered in the royal suite just past the entrance to the Hall of Light."  
  
"I remember that...it's all dark, right, except for the Earthlight?"   
  
"That is correct."  
  
"Is the suite numbered in some way? How do you know which is his?"  
  
"The doors of the royal suites are all framed in silver, which glows in the Earthlight."  
  
"Arigatou. I shall see if I can find my way."  
  
The youma bowed, and Hotaru departed.  
  
Some minutes later, though, Hotaru realized she was very lost--just as the youma had predicted. There were several side corridors which the youma had not mentioned, and--after wandering around at length--she had no idea where she was.  
  
Somehow, though, Hotaru found her way at length to a darkened corridor which--she surmized--must be the Hall of Light; it was very nearly pitch-black except for a high circular window at the end of the hall, apparently meant to illuminate the corridor with the light of the distant Earth. Since the Earth was now just a slim crescent in the sky, most of the illumination came indirectly from sunlight, but that was still enough to reveal a door frame just off the entrance to the corridor, framed in silver and decorated with the ornate script of the ancient Moon Kingdom.  
  
Should I knock...? Hotaru thought, her heart beating fast. Or does he already know I'm here...?  
  
Hesitating, Hotaru retreated into a nearby alcove to summon her courage. Then, suddenly, the door of the suite opened...  
  
Hotaru held her breath, for the interior of the suite was almost as dark as the Hall of Light; but someone stepped through the door--a woman, wearing a long gown--then a second figure appeared that must be Hoshi...  
  
This was already peculiar enough--Kuroiami meeting her son in the dark--but Hotaru gasped aloud when Hoshi grabbed Kuroiami, spun her back to his embrace and kissed her!  
  
*"Don't leave yet,"* came a whispered male voice.  
  
*"I must. Kunzite will wonder where I am."*  
  
*"Let him wonder; you know you love me best."*  
  
*"Oh, don't be this way; I shan't be gone forever."*  
  
This seemed to mollify Hoshi, who settled for a second passionate kiss before letting Kuroiami withdraw into the corridor. Hotaru, for her part, felt a wave of nausea wash over her...  
  
Ewwww! With his own mother...?!  
  
...but thrust the back of her wrist into her mouth to keep from making a sound as Kuroiami first fiddled with the top of her strapless dress, then checked her makeup in a compact she magically summoned out of thin air. Kuroiami's manner suggested she had dressed quickly--she paused to pull on the ankle strap of one of her sandals, which was loose--but finally she seemed satisfied that everything was back in its proper place and straightened up to her full height.  
  
In the near-darkness, Hotaru didn't know if Kuroiami could see her, but Kuroiami's hasty manner suggested she was oblivious to anything except her next appointment. Spinning around quickly on her high spike heels, Kuroiami turned away from Hotaru and then walked off briskly in the opposite direction.  
  
Sickened as she felt, it took all of Hotaru's courage not to bolt at once, but she waited until Kuroiami's footsteps--click-clacking on the marble floor of the corridor around the corner--had faded before she threw herself away from the alcove and ran...  
  
...right into Hoshi.  
  
"Tomoe-san," Hoshi said, holding Hotaru by the shoulders; "are you all right?"  
  
"Hoshi? What--? How--?"  
  
"I was worried you might be lost; my youma said you wandered off on your own, but apparently in the wrong direction."  
  
"Isn't this the Hall of Light?"  
  
"No, this is the Hall of Shadows."  
  
Hotaru--who was feeling a simultaneous mixture of rage and nausea in Hoshi's arms--now felt confusion as well.  
  
"Then who lives here?" Hotaru asked, looking over her shoulder at the silver doorway.  
  
"I think that's General Jadeite's suite," Hoshi said. "It used to be the queen's chamber in ancient times, but my mother offered it to Jadeite when he complained that his quarters weren't large enough."  
  
"Jadeite...?"  
  
Of course, Hotaru thought; it was Jadeite she had seen with Kuroiami!  
  
"You look like you've had a shock," Hoshi said. "Did something frighten you?"  
  
"No. I was just a little lost..."  
  
"There's something I wanted to show you, in my room. Will you come with me?"  
  
"Oh...hai..."  
  
Hoshi reached down to take hold of Hotaru's hand.  
  
"I'll lead you," Hoshi said, "so you don't get lost."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ironically, Hotaru was glad the palace was dark since she was blushing all the way to Hoshi's room. This was in a corridor not unlike the Hall of Shadows, except that the crescent Earth was framed squarely in the round window at the end of the hall, and even the tiny sliver of Earth now visible was more than sufficient to make the silver door--and all the other doors in the corridor--shine with a brilliant light.  
  
"It's so beautiful!" Hotaru exclaimed.  
  
"The frame is wrought of earthstone," Hoshi said, letting go of Hotaru's hand to run his hand over the gleaming surface. "It's a very rare mineral found only on the Moon, which shines in Earthlight...  
  
"But anyway, close your eyes, please."  
  
"Why do I have to close my eyes?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"Well, you don't want to spoil the surprise, do you?"  
  
Hotaru lifted an eyebrow, looking at Hoshi dubiously. But after a moment, she closed her eyes and let Hoshi take her hand.  
  
"Careful now..." Hoshi said, opening the door and leading Hotaru inside, "...mind your step..."  
  
Being Japanese just like Hotaru, Hoshi paused to let Hotaru slip off her shoes at the doorway and slipped off his own shoes as well, before guiding her into the interior of the suite.  
  
"Is this your bedroom?" Hotaru asked, still keeping her eyes closed.  
  
"Yes. This used to be the princess's bedchamber, so it's pretty big--but even so, I wouldn't want you to trip over a footstool or anything. You're not peeking, right?"  
  
"I'm not peeking..."  
  
"All right," Hoshi said, coming to a stop and letting go of Hotaru's hand, "you can open your eyes now."  
  
Hotaru opened her eyes and gasped. A giant lenticular crystal stood before her--taller than her head--and the crescent Earth shone from inside the crystal like a blue-white gem, blown up to gigantic proportions.  
  
"What *is* this?" Hotaru asked, looking into the crystal in wonder.  
  
"This is a seeing crystal," Hoshi said, standing close behind Hotaru. "There were two in the ancient palace--one for the queen and one for her daughter--which they used to watch over the Earth."  
  
"How does it work?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"It's really quite simple. You simply think of a place, and the crystal shows it to you; here, let me show you..."  
  
Hoshi closed his own eyes, concentrated, and brought forth an image of Shiba Park and the Tokyo Tower, gleaming with light in the Tokyo night.  
  
"Subarashii!" Hotaru exclaimed.  
  
"Now you try."  
  
Hotaru closed her eyes, concentrated, and brought forth an image of a darkened rose garden.  
  
"What is that place?" Hoshi asked.  
  
"I don't know," Hotaru admitted. "It's a place my father took me, long ago..."  
  
"Perhaps it's Koishikawa Park," Hoshi mused. "Do you like roses?"  
  
"Yes, I like roses. I like all kinds of flowers."  
  
"I thought you might. For all your power, you're a very kind and sensitive person."  
  
Hotaru frowned.  
  
"Why are you showing me this, Hoshi-sama?"  
  
"Does there have to be a reason?" Hoshi asked. "I thought you might appreciate it, as beautiful as you are yourself..."  
  
"You hardly know me. Why *are* you so interested in me?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
  
"Indulge me."  
  
"Hotaru--may I call you 'Hotaru'...?"  
  
"You may."  
  
Hoshi paused a moment, then answered Hotaru's question.  
  
"I love you, Hotaru."  
  
Hotaru turned around to face Hoshi.  
  
"I'm sorry," Hoshi said; "I know I hardly know you. But I fell in love with you the very first time I saw you; I've only been a teenager a couple of days, so I don't know if this is normal. But I think about you constantly, and you're even in my dreams."  
  
"Didn't we only just meet yesterday?"  
  
"Yes. But I'd seen you before that."  
  
Hotaru was confused for a moment--until she remembered the crystal.  
  
"You've been spying on me?" she asked.  
  
"I'm sorry," Hoshi said, turning away from Hotaru. "I know I must sound like a complete cretin, but it was on my mother's orders, I swear. I never expected to fall in love with you; I'd never even *been* in love before, until I saw you..."  
  
Hotaru frowned. Inside, part of her had a good mind to kill him on the spot--outraged at such a grotesque violation of her privacy--but another part of her was more forgiving; for all of his polish and savoir faire, Hoshi was still just a child. Raised to the age of six by Kuroiami, then killed and resurrected as a teenager, how could Hoshi be anything *but* confused when he felt the first flush of puberty racing through his body?  
  
"Why do you tell me this now?" Hotaru asked. "I'm angry, but you must have known I'd be angry."  
  
"I know your secret, Hotaru," Hoshi said, turning his head, but still looking away. "There's a monster living inside you--the monster that tried to get the Holy Grail from Sailormoon. I could have told my mother, but I didn't tell her. I couldn't tell her."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Didn't I tell you, Hotaru? I love you."  
  
Hoshi's head shook slightly, and Hotaru realized he was crying.  
  
I should hate him, Hotaru thought. I should hate what he did to me. But he's just a child--even more so than me...  
  
Hotaru stepped toward Hoshi, but then she heard a voice in her mind--the voice of Mistress Nine.   
  
This boy is a fool, Hotaru! Exploit his weakness while you can! Kill him!  
  
No! Hotaru thought back; he's just a child! He doesn't know what he's doing!  
  
Have you forgotten your mission? This boy stands in your way!  
  
"Shut up!" Hotaru screamed. "Shut up, damn you!"  
  
Hoshi jumped and spun around in shock, assuming Hotaru was yelling at him.  
  
"It's my monster," Hotaru said, regaining her composure and stepping closer to Hoshi. "She wants me to kill you."  
  
"Do you...*want* to kill me...?" Hoshi asked.  
  
"I don't think so," Hotaru said softly, embracing Hoshi and laying his head on her shoulder. Hoshi cried into her shoulder, and she let him do so freely.  
  
"Tell me," Hotaru said, "can your mother see us with her crystal?"  
  
"No," Hoshi replied, between his tears; "the crystals are tied to the Earth."  
  
"At least we have privacy, then," Hotaru said gently, caressing Hoshi's hair. Hotaru then closed her eyes to summon her power, and let that power flow through Hoshi. Only after a moment did Hoshi realize what was happening--as a wave of warmth swept through his body, sweeping all his cares and fears before it.  
  
"Hotaru," he said, looking up in surprise, "what...?"  
  
But the wave of warmth carried away Hoshi's consciousness as well, and he suddenly slumped in Hotaru's arms, fast asleep.  
  
*"I love you too, Hoshi,"* Hotaru whispered softly, kissing Hoshi on the cheek. *"But rest is what you need now, my prince...   
  
*"Saturn Planet Power, Make-Up."*   
  
Still holding Hoshi, Hotaru then transformed into Sailorsaturn, and--with Sailorsaturn's strength--she carried Hoshi to the ornate covered bed that stood in the middle of the room and placed him there under the covers. Pausing just a moment to brush Hoshi's blue hair out of his eyes and kiss his forehead, Sailorsaturn then considered returning to her own room...although she still wasn't sure exactly where that was.  
  
Thus, after another long moment, Sailorsaturn simply decided to stay where she was. Pulling back the covers, she slid into bed next to Hoshi--Silence Glaive and all--then curled up next to Hoshi and de-transformed once again.  
  
Mistress Nine, Hotaru thought, closing her eyes, I shall be very upset if you kill Hoshi while I'm sleeping...  
  
Then, with her arm around Hoshi, Hotaru soon fell asleep as well. 


	13. Endgame

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER THIRTEEN  
  
The next morning--before the formal beginning of the talks between her court and the Earth Senshi--Kuroiami entered the throne room of the Moon Palace in her low-cut black gown, looking forward to a quick game of chess with her son. However, Hoshi was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Where is my son?" Kuroiami asked the female servant youma standing next to the chess table.  
  
"I believe the young master is still in bed," the youma replied.  
  
"That doesn't sound like Hoshi."  
  
The youma said nothing--not wanting to give Kuroiami any excuse to kill her.  
  
"Have you checked on Hoshi-sama recently?" Kuroiami asked the youma.  
  
"Yes, Majesty, just a few minutes ago."  
  
"Did he appear ill?"  
  
"No. However..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"There was a young lady staying with him. Tomoe Hotaru, I believe."  
  
Kuroiami raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Shall I rouse him, Your Majesty?"  
  
"No, that's all right. Just be sure that he's ready in time for the start of the talks with the rebel faction."  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty," the youma said, leaving when Kuroiami gave a dismissive wave of her hand. Kuroiami herself, meanwhile, moved to the chess table and took a seat opposite the chair normally occupied by Hoshi. 32 chess pieces were already set up in preparation for play, with the black pieces on Kuroiami's side of the board.  
  
"Precocious, aren't we?" Kuroiami said to herself, picking up the black king and smiling as she rolled it about in her fingers.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Meanwhile, in the guest quarters of the palace, alarm was spreading as the Earth Senshi realized that Hotaru was missing; the Senshi were hoping to have an early breakfast with Sailormercury before Sailormercury met Hoshi for the start of their diplomatic talks, but the absence of Hotaru pushed all other concerns aside for the time being. Moving from room to room, the Outer Senshi, Sailormoon and Sailormercury began a thorough search for their missing comrade.  
  
"Why don't you just use your minicomputer?" Sailormoon asked Sailormercury, after conventional searching proved fruitless.  
  
"Oh, that's a good idea..." Sailormercury said, pulling out her computer.  
  
"Is something the matter, Ami?" Sailormoon asked. "You seem distracted."  
  
"Oh, I was just thinking about Hoshi," Sailormercury said, turning on her computer. "I'm worried what will happen if the negotiations don't go well."  
  
"I'm sure everything will work out fine," Sailormoon said cheerfully. "Now why don't we see if we can find Hotaru?"  
  
Just then, though, Sailorsaturn came walking into view--apparently surprised by all the commotion.  
  
"Sailorsaturn," Sailoruranus said, "where have you been?"  
  
"I was with Hoshi," Sailorsaturn replied.  
  
"Just now?" Sailorneptune asked. "Or all night?"  
  
"All night, if you must know. He seemed troubled, so I stayed with him in his room."  
  
*"Oh my!"* gasped Ami.  
  
"You spent the night with the ENEMY?!" Sailoruranus thundered.  
  
"He's just a boy," Sailorsaturn replied.  
  
"But he's Kuroiami's *son*, for God's sake! What were you thinking?"  
  
Sailorsaturn didn't bother to reply to Sailoruranus; she simply looked at Sailoruranus dispassionately for a long moment, then turned to Sailormercury.  
  
"Hoshi wanted me to tell you that he's looking forward to the negotiations," Sailorsaturn said, before turning to the other Senshi.  
  
"Now if you'll excuse me, I am a bit tired and I'd like to get some rest."  
  
The other Senshi then looked on with astonishment as Sailorsaturn retired to her quarters.  
  
"What does she need *rest* for...?" Sailoruranus asked.  
  
"Oh, I think *I* can guess..." Sailormoon said coyly.  
  
"I think we all can guess," Sailormercury said, frowning deeply.  
  
I just hope this doesn't complicate things any more than they already are...  
  
* * * * *  
  
About an hour later, the negotiations between the Earth Senshi and Kuroiami's forces finally began in the banquet hall--a seldom-used chamber of the palace that was more-or-less centrally located between the guest quarters and the quarters of Kuroiami and her generals. Queen Galaxia was there for the opening session--as well as SailorChi, SailorPhi, Sailorpluto, Kuroiami and Hoshi--but SailorChi, SailorPhi, Sailorpluto and Kuroiami excused themselves after the opening remarks, leaving the hard business of negotiation to Hoshi and Sailormercury, with Galaxia as mediator.  
  
Unfortunately for Sailormercury, the talks soon became a tormenting experience; although she didn't want to think about it, she couldn't help but wonder just exactly what her son (Hoshi) and Sailorsaturn had been doing all night that left Hotaru so exhausted. She liked to think their contact had been innocent, but Hoshi was clearly full of energy this morning--much as she imagined a cocky young man might be after claiming a conquest. It sickened her, and the feeling only grew as the day wore on--exacerbated by Hoshi's quibbling over almost every minor point of contention.   
  
"Hoshi-san, our bottom line is that Kuroiami must accept exile as a condition of peace."  
  
"But how can you justify such exile, Mercury-san? Kuroiami is the rightful queen of the Earth."  
  
"Rightful? How so?"  
  
"I'm afraid it is your burden to disprove my contention."  
  
"Kuroiami came by her power by unjust means! Surely any reasonable person would agree with that!"  
  
"Define 'unjust'."  
  
"Kuroiami used treachery and deceit to deprive the rightful princess of her right!"  
  
"So you say. But what is your proof? Were you there to see these events? And even if it were so, what would it matter? The laws of the Confraternity of Worlds establish no mandate that a 'rightful queen' must abide by any particular moral code."  
  
"But she must abide by the reasonable laws and standards of her world; such is the law of the Confraternity of Worlds. Is treachery your reasonable standard, Hoshi?"  
  
"Again we come back to the matter of proof. No accommodation of your request is possible before we can establish the legitimacy of your right..."  
  
And so it went, a grinding process of point and counterpoint that left Sailormercury feeling quite spent--and more than a little irate--by the end of the day. Sailormercury never spoke ill of Hoshi out loud--for that would be frightfully rude--but she had stifled a great deal of anger by the time Galaxia suggested suspending the talks after 12 grueling hours had passed.  
  
That Hoshi! Ami thought, after heading straight to her room, de-transforming and flopping face-first onto her bed. If he weren't my son, I should be very cross with him!  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hoshi, meanwhile, wasn't nearly as tired as Ami; that morning--when Hotaru had left his bedchamber--Hotaru had asked him to meet her again this evening.  
  
Unfortunately for Hoshi, his memories of the previous evening were very vague, but they were definitely pleasant--like the pleasant memory of a dream that lingers even after the dream is forgotten. He remembered inviting Hotaru to his quarters, and he remembered waking up in her arms the next morning, but little that happened in between. All he definitely remembered were Hotaru's last words to him:  
  
"Meet me tonight in the rose garden," Hotaru had said, "after the talks are done for the day."  
  
That alone would have been enough to lighten Hoshi's mood, but he had a feeling Hotaru had given him more than that. All day he had felt a strange energy welling up inside him--as if some congenial spirit were bearing him up on her wings--and it was more and more obvious where that energy came from as the day went along. Hoshi had dreaded the beginning of the talks because of his orders from Kuroiami to drag out the talks as long as possible--frustrating Sailormercury's genuine efforts at diplomacy. But Hoshi's spirits never flagged, despite his inward disgust with his own treatment of Sailormercury.  
  
Hotaru must have given me this gift, Hoshi thought, sitting on a bench in the rose garden behind the palace; like an angel, she has healed me...  
  
Then Hoshi heard footsteps, and lifted his head to see Hotaru approaching.  
  
"Tomoe-san," Hoshi said, standing and bowing. "Konbanwa."  
  
"Konbanwa, Hoshi-sama," Hotaru replied, bowing as well. "How was your day?"  
  
"Quite dreadful," Hoshi admitted. "Sailormercury wanted to make progress in the talks, but Kuroiami ordered me to frustrate her at every turn. If it weren't for you, I don't know how I could have endured it."  
  
"Me?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"You did something to me, didn't you?"  
  
Hotaru smiled slightly, drawing closer to Hoshi.  
  
"Don't you remember?" she asked.  
  
"Not really. I remember asking you to my room, and I remember waking up with you there beside me. But the rest, I just don't remember...  
  
"Tell me, I didn't do anything...inappropriate...did I?"  
  
Hotaru giggled.  
  
"No, Hoshi-sama. But you did tell me that you love me."  
  
"I did?"  
  
"Oh yes," Hotaru said. "And I told you that I love you too."  
  
Hoshi looked at Hotaru with astonishment--even as his memories began to return.  
  
"I remember now: I asked you to my room to show you the seeing crystal--and to admit that I'd been spying on you. I wanted you to know I hadn't told Kuroiami your secret--about the monster inside you. But why was it so hard for me to remember what happened after that...?"  
  
"I used my power to help you rest," Hotaru said. "It may have clouded your memories."  
  
"So you did use your power on me," Hoshi said. "But what power is this? I didn't see you use it while I was spying on you..."  
  
"I don't use it often, or speak of it openly..."  
  
Hotaru paused, looking down at a nearby rose, then turned back to Hoshi.  
  
"I would have asked you first," she said, "but you were in so much pain, and you reminded me so much of myself. You are divided inside, much as I am...  
  
"Hoshi-sama, you understand me, as no one else could."  
  
A long moment passed as Hoshi simply looked at Hotaru with disbelief; her eyes were deepest violet--almost as dark as the sky above--and Hoshi was drowning in those eyes.  
  
*"It was as I thought,"* Hoshi said softly, smiling at Hotaru even as a single tear ran down his cheek. *"I was sundered, but you have made me whole."*  
  
Hotaru looked back at Hoshi, her lips parting slightly, and a timeless moment passed in the silence of the lunar garden; then they kissed, as lovers kiss whose love defies all obstacles.  
  
"I love you, Hoshi," Hotaru said, surrendering to Hoshi's embrace and laying her head upon his shoulder. "I came here to claim the Holy Grail, but you have captured me instead."   
  
"No," Hoshi said, nuzzling Hotaru's hair, "I have no chains for you. You have freed me, and I shall love you always."  
  
Hotaru looked up at Hoshi.  
  
"I would give anything for you," she said.   
  
"And I for you. You are my only country now; you are my queen."  
  
Again they kissed.  
  
"My lord," Hotaru said, "command me."  
  
* * * * *  
  
In their ardor, Hotaru and Hoshi were both of a mind to teleport to Earth at once--since there was precious little privacy in the Moon Palace--but complications stood in the way. Hoshi could teleport to Earth on his own, but he had never tried carrying a passenger; Hotaru, conversely, believed she had the power to teleport as Sailorsaturn, but had yet to use that power and knew neither the limitations of its range nor how much it would tax her energy reserves.  
  
"I could use this teleport bracelet," Hotaru said, showing Hoshi the bracelet Luna had given her; "but it would teleport all the Senshi back to Earth along with me..."  
  
"That's more attention than we need," Hoshi replied.  
  
"Doesn't Kuroiami have a long-range teleportation device?" Hotaru asked. "She must have used such a device to bring Usagi and Ami into this dimension."  
  
"She did," Hoshi confirmed, "but unfortunately, the only copy of that device was destroyed when Mugen Palace was destroyed.  
  
"However..."  
  
Hoshi looked back at the palace.  
  
"...there might be a way to boost my teleport energy, and let me carry you with me when I go. We could use the ginzuishou."  
  
"Do you mean the original ginzuishou, or the one that Eternal Sailormoon brought from her dimension?"  
  
"The original ginzuishou--which is the key to my mother's power; she uses it to amplify the power of her own Mercury crystal. But I have learned how to tap into its power as well; a small boost should be enough to get us both to Earth safely."  
  
Hotaru smiled--thanking providence for this stroke of luck--and together she and Hoshi returned to the interior of the palace. Cautiously, Hoshi led Hotaru past the places where youma were likely to be posted, or where the four generals were likely to congregate, thence to a secret stairway leading down to the basement of the palace. At the bottom of the stairway, Hoshi stopped at an armored door with a security keypad at its side.  
  
*"The princess and the ginzuishou lie beyond this door,"* Hoshi whispered, *"so the chamber is constantly monitored. Once the door is unlocked, we shall only have seconds to reach the princess before youma detect our unauthorized entry."*  
  
Hoshi then opened the door--producing a small *whiff* as pressure equalized inside and outside the chamber--then quickly entered with Hotaru. Inside, he expected to find Usagi hovering in a state of perpetual slumber, living in a dream world created by Kuroiami...  
  
...but Usagi was missing.  
  
"What in the world?" Hoshi asked, looking around the circular chamber. "Where did she go?"  
  
"Could she have been moved?" Hotaru offered.  
  
"No, I would have known about it."  
  
"Perhaps she escaped."  
  
"No," Hoshi said; "we'd have heard alarms if that happened."  
  
Suddenly--as if on cue--alarms began to sound.  
  
"Like that alarm?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"No," Hoshi said, grabbing Hotaru's hand, "that's the 'breaking-in' alarm. We've been detected--we've got to get out of here!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back in her room, Ami was dreaming of pushing a box of law books up a mountain when she heard the alarm sounding. At first she thought it was merely part of her dream, but then Sailormoon burst into her room and shook her awake.  
  
"Ami, wake up!" Sailormoon said. "Something is happening!"  
  
"What is it?" Ami said, yawning.  
  
"We're not sure, but Hotaru is gone again! You'd better transform."  
  
"Right," Ami agreed, pushing herself out of bed and re-transforming herself into Sailormercury. She then left her room with Sailormoon and headed toward the front of the palace, first running into the Outer Senshi, then into Queen Galaxia, SailorChi and SailorPhi--also leaving their quarters to investigate the disturbance.  
  
"Do you know what's happening?" SailorChi asked Sailormoon.  
  
"No," Sailormoon said. "I didn't even know the palace had an alarm system..."  
  
The Earth and Galactic Senshi soon came to see what the fuss was about, though, as they spilled out onto the front steps of the palace. Hotaru and Hoshi were both in front of the palace--apparently cornered in the act of fleeing by many youma, all four generals and Kuroiami herself. Always keen to make a dramatic impression, Kuroiami stood on the giant holographic chessboard in front of the palace, sharing the square occupied by the black queen (although Kuroiami was still shorter than the queen, even with her high heels).  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" Sailoruranus exclaimed.  
  
"I should think the meaning is plain enough," Kuroiami replied, looking quite smug. "These young people were poking about where they did not belong."  
  
"Hoshi!" Hotaru said, grabbing Hoshi's arm, "escape while you can!"  
  
"I'm not going anywhere," Hoshi replied defiantly, looking up at Kuroiami.  
  
Galaxia herself then stepped forward to address Kuroiami.  
  
"What exactly did these young people do?" Galaxia asked.  
  
Kuroiami looked at Galaxia curiously--as if she were studying a minor chess problem.  
  
"This is none of your concern," Kuroiami said.  
  
Just then, though, a servant youma came up to Kuroiami and whispered a report in her ear.  
  
*"Your Majesty, the princess is missing."*  
  
*"What do you mean, 'the princess is missing'?"*  
  
*"She is not in her chamber, Your Majesty, nor anywhere else in the palace. We can't detect the resonance frequency of the ginzuishou anywhere."*  
  
*"Is this your idea of a joke?"* Kuroiami hissed. *"Don't you think I'd sense it if the ginzuishou disappeared...?"*  
  
But then a sudden inspiration came to Kuroiami, and she turned slowly to face the galactic Senshi.  
  
"So," Kuroiami said, "your true purpose here is revealed at last."  
  
"True purpose?" Galaxia replied. "I thought it was clear that we came here to assist your negotiations."  
  
"But that was merely pretext! The Moon Princess--whose person I have guarded zealously, protecting her from all potential enemies--has been abducted from this very palace!"  
  
Sailormoon was confused for a moment, but then she remembered that Kuroiami was referring to the Moon Princess of this dimension, rather than herself.  
  
"I would suspect these miscreants," Kuroiami continued, glancing at the Outer Senshi, "but this is beyond their means. Only you are capable of this treachery."  
  
SailorChi and SailorPhi both reacted to this charge with outrage, moving forward to challenge Kuroiami with their staves at the ready.  
  
"You would do well..." SailorChi said.  
  
"...to mind your tongue!" SailorPhi added.  
  
"Queen Galaxia has come here in good faith..."  
  
"...to help you, not to attack you!"  
  
"I will not suffer these insults in my own home," Kuroiami replied. "Generals, seize them!"  
  
Seeming to have forgotten Hotaru and Hoshi altogether, the generals moved to obey at once--Generals Zoisite and Jadeite cornering SailorChi, while Generals Nephrite and Kunzite cornered SailorPhi. The generals then held up their hands and projected force fields that immobilized Galaxia's escorts.  
  
Only then did Queen Galaxia shows signs of losing her patience.  
  
"Kuroiami," Galaxia said, "this is nonsense. What possible reason could I have for interfering with this kingdom?"  
  
Kuroiami laughed.  
  
"Such courtesy! But I have a discerning ear; rather than 'my kingdom' you say 'this kingdom'--for you have already foreordained my exile! But I shall not be pushed aside so easily. Bring forth the princess or I shall kill your servants!"  
  
"Mark well whom you mock," Galaxia replied. "I do not wish to destroy you."  
  
"As if you could. I am the master here."  
  
A long silent moment passed, as youma, generals and Senshi alike held their breath. Even Hotaru--who once again considered urging Hoshi to flight--stood transfixed by the confrontation.  
  
"So be it," Galaxia said, raising her hands. "Galactica Super String...!" 


	14. Queens and Princesses

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.  
  
If anyone is curious about why this chapter seems a little different from the orignal version I wrote, I did go through and change several scenes (although the events of the chapter are still the same); I made the revisions because I felt the chapter lacked the emotional impact I wanted, and I'm still not entirely happy with it. But at this point I think I'll just try to move on to writing the next (and most likely last) chapter now. And as always, comments or suggestions are appreciated.)   
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
  
Meanwhile, in a darkened street in Minato-ku, a portal opened and six Sailor Senshi (and a cat) emerged, ready for battle. With their powers at the ready, Sailoruranus, Sailorneptune, Sailorpluto, Sailorsaturn, Sailormars, Sailorjupiter and Luna looked around themselves...but were surprised to see no sign of danger.   
  
Though the neighborhood looked a bit beat-up--with many houses smashed and several street signs bent and twisted--at least one businessman was walking home nonchalantly, and a few civilian cars even passed by, causing the Senshi to step out of the way.   
  
"It looks just like home," Sailormars said, looking around.  
  
"Except for all the wreckage," Sailorjupiter offered.  
  
Luna--who was carrying Ami's minicomputer attached to a cord around her neck--dipped her head to remove the computer, then used a paw to activate the device.  
  
"Indeed," Luna agreed, "the nuclear resonance patterns of the matter here are identical to those in our own world; however, the position of the Moon, stars and planets is consistent with the current date Artemis2 gave us--August 19, A.D. 2000."  
  
"Still," Sailoruranus said, "this looks like an awfully peaceful neighborhood. Are you sure this is where Usagi and Ami were taken?"  
  
"This is the endpoint of one of the dimensional gateways created by Kuroiami," Luna confirmed, continuing her scanning, "but I'm not detecting any trace of the ginzuishou or the Mercury crystal nearby..."  
  
"Perhaps they're..." Sailorneptune started to say, but she held her thought out of respect for Sailormars and Sailorjupiter.  
  
"Dead?" Sailormars said. "You can say it. Jupiter and I have both died, several times."  
  
"And it sounds like we died in this world too," Sailorjupiter observed, recalling what Artemis2 had said about the demise of the Black Senshi in this dimension. "You Outers killed us!"  
  
"No," Sailoruranus corrected Sailorjupiter, "our *counterparts* here killed your counterparts here--or so the white rat said. Personally, I find it hard to imagine Sailorvenus leading a band of villains, here or anywhere else."  
  
The Inner Senshi smiled, despite themselves.  
  
"Actually," Sailormars said, "I think Minako got a kick out of that part of the story--her being a villain in this world."  
  
"Yeah," Sailorjupiter agreed. "It's too bad we had to leave her behind."  
  
"It was logical, though," Sailorpluto said. "Somebody had to watch Artemis2, and Minako was the logical choice since she knows our own Artemis so well."  
  
"Why not just leave Artemis behind to watch Artemis2?" Sailorsaturn asked. "He's pretty dependable."  
  
"It's better to be safe than sorry." Sailoruranus replied. "I just feel better knowing that Sailorvenus and Artemis are both on the job."  
  
Suddenly, Luna turned to the Senshi.  
  
"Minna," she said, "I think I've found them!"  
  
"Where?" Sailormars asked.  
  
"There," Luna replied, lifting her gaze to the waning moon overhead.  
  
* * * * *  
  
For a moment, Queen Galaxia stood poised with her hands above her head, summoning the energy to unleash her ultimate power at Kuroiami, who--defiant as ever--was standing on the edge of the giant holographic chessboard she had built in front of the Moon Palace, looking back at Galaxia. Around them, friends and foes alike stood transfixed--the Outer Senshi (all transformed save Hotaru, who was standing next to Hoshi), Sailormoon and Sailormercury, Luna, SailorChi, SailorPhi and myriad youma--all anticipating Galaxia's next move.   
  
But something troubled Sailormercury; Sailormercury--who had played chess with Kuroiami many times--was well aware of Kuroiami's methodical tenacity, and knew she wouldn't invite annihilation without a backup plan.  
  
I wonder... Sailormercury thought, bringing forth her VR visor.  
  
Immediately, she realized the reason for Kuroiami's confidence.  
  
"Queen Galaxia, no!" Sailormercury shouted, throwing herself at the queen. "It's a trap!"  
  
The crowd gasped, but Galaxia cancelled the casting of her Super String.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The chessboard," Sailormercury said, pointing at the holographic chessboard Kuroiami was standing on. "I thought there was something peculiar about it earlier, but I only just figured it out. The chessboard is powered by a negative subspace field generator--opposite in polarity to the subspace field of your own Super String power. If you used your power anywhere near that field, it would be completely neutralized..."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"But it's worse than that," Sailormercury continued, looking right at Kuroiami. "The subspace field is powered by a giant capacitor--deep underground--and I'm certain it's designed to store your energy so she can use it for herself."  
  
Kuroiami's lip curled downward slightly in a way that was very familiar to Sailormercury; it was the same exasperated expression Kuroiami made whenever Sailormercury played her to a draw in chess.  
  
"Mizuno Ami," Kuroiami said, "you are becoming increasingly annoying to me. I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you."  
  
Whereupon Kuroiami hurled a gigantic arc of black lightning directly at Sailormercury (and Galaxia). But even before the attack was cast, Sailorpluto and Sailorsaturn both leapt in front of Sailormercury--Sailorsaturn simultaneously transforming and hurling herself 50 meters through the air to do so--and deflected the lightning with a combination of their Garnet Ball and Silence Wall powers.  
  
"Baka," Kuroiami scowled at her generals and youma; "kill them!"  
  
But SailorChi and SailorPhi were faster than the generals; breaking free of their forcefields, SailorChi and SailorPhi swung their staves around with dazzling speed, sending Jadeite and Nephrite to the ground with blows to the gut, and knocking Zoisite and Kunzite aside with withering blows to their heads.  
  
"Let's get 'em!" Sailoruranus yelled to Sailorneptune and Sailorpluto, seizing the initiative while the nearest youma were likewise stunned. But there were a *lot* of youma, and Kuroiami herself was still untouched; thus, a general melee soon erupted, with magic and elemental powers flying in all directions.  
  
"Let's get cover!" Luna yelled to Sailormoon and Sailormercury.  
  
"Hai!" Sailormoon agreed, grabbing Sailormercury by the forearm and diving for cover before they were pulverized in the crossfire.  
  
"Wait a minute..." Sailormercury said, looking around from the cover of the palace steps; "where's Hoshi?"  
  
"I don't know; he was with Hotaru a moment ago..."  
  
"You've got to help me find him!"  
  
"Good luck, in all that mess!"  
  
Sailormercury figured on more than luck, though, since she still had her VR visor activated. Through the visor she could isolate a number of battle zones; nearest to her position, SailorChi and SailorPhi were circling around Galaxia protectively, while the Outer Senshi were wading into the thick of the youma with their typical courage and élan. Sailorsaturn wasn't with the Outer Senshi, though; wielding the Silence Glaive like a polearm, Sailorsaturn was hacking through the youma as she made her way toward Kuroiami, who presently was holding Hoshi by the neck and defying all his efforts to struggle free.  
  
"Can you see him...?" Sailormoon asked, trying to make sense of the battle raging all around them.  
  
"Yes, there he is!" Sailormercury said, showing Sailormoon and Luna.  
  
"Do you want to help him?" Sailormoon asked.  
  
Sailormoon nodded, and both Senshi prepared to go.  
  
"I'll come with you..." Luna said.  
  
"No, stay here," Sailormercury recommended. "The Outers might still need you."  
  
Luna frowned, but agreed.  
  
"Just be careful," Luna said. "Need I remind you, Kuroiami is full of surprises?"  
  
"No," Sailormercury said, setting off with Sailormoon, "you don't have to remind us..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
*What do you...hope to gain...?"* Hoshi gasped, fighting his mother's grip on his neck.  
  
"I grow annoyed with your first-mother," Kuroiami replied, ignoring the chaos all around her; "I had thought we could come to an agreement--perhaps even share power in this world. Did I not spare her pathetic life, time and again, and show her every courtesy in my own home? For her treachery, no forgiveness is possible..."  
  
Hoshi continued struggling, but Kuroiami only seemed to snap out of her reverie when she saw the Silence Glaive approaching.  
  
"Clearly," Kuroiami said, "she and her spawn are both expendable. Please don't take this personally, Hoshi, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you...again."  
  
Kuroiami then tightened her grip, Hoshi's eyes bugged outward, and his entire body disintegrated in a shower of cherry blossoms. Then, as Kuroiami closed her eyes, the storm of petals flowed into her body.  
  
"Hoshi!" Sailorsaturn exclaimed, finally breaking through the youma perimeter. But Hoshi was already gone, consumed by the same woman who had given second birth to him just three days earlier.  
  
"Silence Glaive Surprise...!" Sailorsaturn exclaimed, lifting her weapon.  
  
But Sailorsaturn stopped herself short of unleashing her power. Even if Hoshi was gone, the essence of what he was remained inside Kuroiami; she had no choice but to lower the Silence Glaive.  
  
"Young fool," Kuroiami said to Sailorsaturn; "the game is mine. Behold my power!"  
  
Then--before Sailorsaturn's stunned eyes--Kuroiami began to grow physically larger; at first the growth was slow...1 centimeter, 2 centimeters, 3...but soon the growth was exponential. She grew and grew and grew, until her shadow blocked out the sun and her legs spanned the width of the giant chessboard, dwarfing the holographic pieces at her feet. All battle ceased--suddenly and universally--as Senshi and youma alike looked up at the towering queen in black.  
  
"Holy--!" Sailormoon exclaimed.  
  
"Shimatta...!" Sailormercury gasped, scanning Kuroiami with her visor; "she must be 15 meters tall!"  
  
"It's just like Queen Beryl," Sailormoon said, feeling a chill run down her spine, "when she absorbed Metallia!"  
  
"Quite so," said Kuroiami, speaking now with a voice like thunder. "I have held the soul of the great queen within myself lo these many centuries...waiting for the energy that would bring her back to life. I had thought to take that energy from Galaxia--and take Galaxia's throne for the one true ruler of the cosmos--but that was not to be..."  
  
Sailormercury gulped, acutely aware of Kuroiami's baleful stare bearing down on her.  
  
"...but no matter. Sailormercury has given me a son, and that son has given me the power TO DESTROY ALL LIFE IN THE COSMOS!"  
  
At this, black arcs of lightning poured forth from Kuroiami--a hundred times more powerful than the arc she had hurled at Sailormercury earlier--and youma were tossed like leaves in the wind as the arcs first danced among them, then tore at the Moon Palace, disintegrating walls and shattering windows and columns. All fell back before the lightning--youma and Senshi alike--save one: Sailorsaturn.  
  
The time has come, spoke a voice from deep inside Sailorsaturn; unleash my power!  
  
No! Sailorsaturn thought back; Hoshi is still alive...!  
  
Fool! I have had enough of your nonsense! Now is the dawn of Silence!  
  
Sailorsaturn tried to scream, but the sound was lost in the roar of destruction all around her; then--as if the shadow cast by Kuroiami had grown even darker--Sailorsaturn's form was lost in darkness, then a new form emerged where the Senshi had stood, tall and dark, with jet-black hair of impossible length.  
  
"This isn't good," said Sailormoon.  
  
"Who the hell is that?" asked Sailoruranus.  
  
"Mistress Nine," Sailormercury replied. "The gatekeeper of Pharaoh 90."   
  
"Would you challenge me?" Kuroiami thundered down at Mistress Nine. "Insect?"  
  
"This insect has a sting," replied Mistress Nine, "as you will soon see..."  
  
Rather than attacking Kuroiami, though, Mistress Nine turned to Sailormoon and Sailormercury, and a thick strand of hair flew--fast as thought--to grab Sailormercury by the neck.  
  
"I am not as patient as Hotaru," Mistress Nine said to Sailormoon. "Bring forth the Holy Grail or I shall kill your friend."  
  
"Leave them alone!" Sailorpluto said. "They don't possess the Holy Grail, for we have not yet summoned it!"  
  
Suddenly, two more strands of hair flew forth to grab Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune as well.  
  
"Then bring forth the Holy Grail," Mistress Nine said to Sailorpluto, "or I shall kill your friends as well."  
  
*"This is unacceptable,"* Queen Galaxia whispered to SailorChi and SailorPhi. *"Destroy the power supply for the chessboard, so I may use my power freely!"*  
  
SailorChi and SailorPhi both nodded, took two steps away from Galaxia in opposite directions, then jabbed their golden staves into the loosely-packed lunar soil. Both Senshi then discharged their energy into the ground, destroying the capacitor that powered the negative subspace field of the chessboard.  
  
This naturally peeved Kuroiami--who saw the holographically-projected chess pieces fade away around her feet--but more importantly, it freed Galaxia to use her power.  
  
"Galactica Super String...!" Galaxia began to say, planning to send both Mistress Nine and Kuroiami headlong into the oblivion they so richly deserved. But once again she stayed her power as Sailormercury cried out to her.  
  
"No!" Sailormercury exclaimed--even as she was being strangled--"Please don't hurt Hotaru!"  
  
"Oh, bother," Kuroiami muttered. "If you won't kill this pest, then I will!"  
  
Kuroiami then stepped forward--shaking the ground as she did so--and made as if to step on Mistress Nine, aiming to flatten her foe underneath a high-heeled sandal the size of small car. But then, even as Kuroiami was bringing her right foot forward to step on Mistress Nine, Mistress Nine sent forth another strand of hair which wrapped around both of Kuroiami's ankles, causing the giant queen to stumble and fall toward the ground. Taller than a 5-story building, Kuroiami caught several youma in her path off-guard and promptly crushed them when she hit the ground. The whole moon seemed to shake from the impact--itself sufficient to knock down youma hundreds of meters away--and a vast cloud dust immediately blasted outward from the point of impact, covering the palace and everything in sight.  
  
For Sailormoon--who had just decided to 'heal' Mistress Nine--the dust was a real nuisance; even as she summoned her Eternal Tier and struck a dramatic pose in preparation for her speech and attack, the cloud of dust completely blinded her, making any attack at all impossible.  
  
But Mistress Nine was not so impaired herself since she could still feel the location of most of her foes through the hair she had wrapped around their necks.  
  
I'd better kill that bitch Kuroiami while I have the chance... Mistress Nine thought, forming still more of her hair into a spike and aiming it straight at Kuroiami's heart.  
  
No! Sailorsaturn shouted, from deep inside Mistress Nine. I will not allow you to hurt my Hoshi!  
  
You fool! Mistress Nine replied. Victory is in our grasp...!  
  
But Sailorsaturn's wrath would not be contained; even as Mistress Nine attempted to contain Sailorsaturn, Sailorsaturn's power rose up inside her and annihilated both of them.  
  
*KA-BOOM!!!*  
  
The titanic blast shook the palace and every combatant around it, though none so much as the Outer Senshi—who felt Sailorsaturn's death like a knife in the heart, even as Mistress Nine's hair loosened around their necks.  
  
"Oh no!" Sailorneptune exclaimed.  
  
"Hotaru!" Sailoruranus cried, falling to her knees.  
  
Even Sailorpluto was shaken, leaning on the Staff of Time for support, though her sorrow was only slightly more wrenching than that of Sailormercury and Sailormoon; though they were neither Outer Senshi, nor of this dimension, they likewise felt the knifelike pain strike at their hearts.  
  
"Poor Hotaru..." Sailormoon said, crying openly as she helped Sailormercury to her feet; "I hoped we wouldn't lose her like that, like we did in our own world...  
  
"Are you all right, Ami-chan?"  
  
"I'm all right," Sailormercury said. "But we can't let Hotaru's sacrifice be in vain--or Hoshi's; we have to stop Kuroiami..."  
  
Sailormoon nodded, glancing into the dust in the direction Kuroiami had fallen.  
  
"You're right," Sailormoon said, taking a firm grip on the Eternal Tier, "but you need your rest; I'll take care of it."  
  
"No, wait--!" Sailormercury said, but Sailormoon was already gone, departing into the dust.   
  
I could wait for Mercury, Sailormoon thought, but she's already done so much for me. And besides, no ordinary Senshi powers are going to stop Metallia; only I can do this...  
  
Even as she thought that, though, Sailormoon was overwhelmed by the magnitude of what she was undertaking; back in her own world, Sailormoon was nearly overmastered by the power of Beryl and Metallia, and there was every reason to believe that the combination of Kuroiami and Metallia was vastly more powerful still.  
  
"I just wish I knew what to do," Sailormoon said aloud, pausing to check her bearings in the settling dust.  
  
But even as she stood there, a gentle hand touched her forearm, and Sailormoon was stunned as she turned to face...  
  
Herself!  
  
"Princess Serenity?"  
  
"Sailormoon," the princess replied, "I'm so glad we have a chance to meet at last."  
  
"We thought you were dead!" Sailormoon exclaimed. "Or at least I thought you were dead. Where have you been?"  
  
"Just watching," the princess said cryptically, "from a distance. My friend Ami wanted me to dream so she could use my power without interference, but I found I could dream no longer."  
  
"Don't you mean 'Kuroiami'?" Sailormoon asked--still trying to overcome her shock at meeting her virtual twin, dressed in a white princess gown of the Moon Kingdom.  
  
"No," the princess replied, "that is only a name that others gave her. And Ami really isn't as bad as people say; deep down--in her heart--she is still the friend I once knew: gentle, selfless and good."  
  
"You sound like you're talking about *my* Ami-chan," Sailormoon said, with a smile. "But what about Metallia? How can we defeat her?"  
  
"With love," the princess replied. "Is that not our way?"  
  
"Yes," Sailormoon said, with a smile. "That is our way."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Stupid sandals," Kuroiami muttered, pushing herself upright into a sitting position, then reaching backward to unbuckle her ankle straps. "From now on, I'm sticking to sensible shoes..."  
  
For want of a better target upon which to vent her irritation--with the battlefield still choked with dust--Kuroiami then threw her left shoe at the central dome of the Moon Palace, knocking loose most of the stones and plaster on one side. Then she threw her right shoe to finish the job, causing the rest of the dome to fall over and send up yet another cloud of dust to obscure the battlefield.  
  
But even as Kuroiami pushed herself to her feet--satisfied with this minor exercise in destruction--a strange light caught her eye, glinting through the dust, and she turned to face this new irritation.  
  
"Impossible..!" Kuroiami said.  
  
But sure enough, as the dust parted, Kuroiami beheld her old friend Usagi--still dressed as the Moon Princess--marching forward alongside Sailormoon. Clearly neither dead nor abducted, the princess was also clearly not unconscious, though Kuroiami had held her enthralled with the strongest of magic.  
  
"Ami-chan," the princess said to Kuroiami, "the battle is over; it is time to come home."  
  
"Stay back!" Kuroiami said. "Stay back, I'm warning you!"  
  
But it was Kuroiami herself who fell back, seized by a sudden terror in her heart as the princess and Sailormoon advanced. The two ginzuishou--whose power Kuroiami had coveted for so long--shone now with a brilliant light, though their power was no longer Kuroiami's to control.  
  
"Don't be afraid," the princess said. "We are your friends."  
  
"I have no friends!" Kuroiami replied--stumbling to a halt as she ran into a hill only slightly shorter than herself. Only then did she unleash her black lightning power once more, though the arcs of lightning passed through both Usagi's without apparent effect.  
  
"You are a true friend," the princess said to Kuroiami; "you protected me, and cared for me during this time of trial. But now it is time to rest, and begin your life anew..."  
  
The light of the ginzuishou then intensified until it banished all darkness, all shadows, all places where evil, deceit and hate might hide.  
  
"NOOOO...!!!" Kuroiami exclaimed, but there was no longer any place to run. The whole universe seemed to fill with light, and there was nowhere she could possibly go to escape it.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Amidst the swirling dust, a young woman awoke with eyes full of wonder. Somehow she knew this place; from the jet-black sky overhead, speckled with stars like glittering diamonds, and the fine regolithic dust she lay upon, this was almost certainly Luna--the Earth's moon.  
  
How extraordinary! she thought; but how did I get here...?  
  
Pushing herself upright to a sitting position, she felt dizzy for a moment. But her dizziness passed, and she looked down at her body.  
  
And why am I wearing this? she thought, studying the strapless black gown clinging closely to her body. This isn't like me at all!  
  
The young woman was distracted from looking at herself, though, as she caught a glimpse of movement nearby--two figures approaching through the cloud of dust surrounding her.  
  
"Usagi...?" she said. "*And* Sailormoon...?"  
  
"Ami-chan!" Usagi2 said, making no effort to hide her tears as she shuffled forward to embrace her friend. "Thank goodness you're all right!"  
  
"Yes, I'm all right," she said, returning her friend's embrace. "But what am I doing here? And why are we dressed so formally...?  
  
"And where are all of our friends?"  
  
Usagi2 smiled sympathetically, glancing back at Sailormoon before responding.  
  
"I'm sure they're all nearby," Usagi2 said, holding her friend tenderly. "I'm sure we'll see them all again soon."  
  
* * * * *   
  
Meanwhile--a short distance away--the Outer Senshi (and Luna) had taken Kuroiami's four generals prisoner, though the generals offered no resistance. Still smarting from the loss of Sailorsaturn, Sailoruranus, Sailorneptune and Sailorpluto were almost looking forward to a fight so they could take their anger out on someone, but the generals were strangely passive now that Kuroiami was defeated.  
  
A similar condition was also affecting Kuroiami's remaining youma; bereft of their leader, the youma began changing into human beings who then wandered about the battlefield confused, utterly mystified at how they had come to be on the Moon, a thousand years removed from the homes they remembered on Earth.  
  
Like Ami2--who was just now waking up from the long dream of her life as Kuroiami--these people had no memory of their life as monsters; but their loss of identity was far more profound, since they had been in their state for over a thousand years.  
  
"I don't think they're faking it," Sailormercury said to SailorGalaxia, after scanning the generals and youma with her minicomputer. "They really are suffering from profound memory loss."  
  
"Their memories will be easy enough to restore," Galaxia said, "but they may have difficulty adjusting to life on the modern Earth. Technology on Earth has advanced in the last thousand years, has it not?"  
  
"Yes," Sailormercury said, with a slight smile, "somewhat."  
  
"Very well, then," Galaxia said, turning to SailorChi and SailorPhi. "Please locate a world where these Earthfolk can be rehabilitated and prepared for return to Earth, if they so desire."  
  
"Yes Majesty."  
  
Not for the first time, Sailormercury was impressed by Galaxia's graciousness, truly befitting the queen of the galaxy. But neither Hotaru nor Hoshi had lived to see this victory, so it hardly felt like a victory at all.   
  
"Your Majesty," Sailormercury said, "if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go check on Sailormoon..."  
  
"Yes, of course," Galaxia replied.  
  
In fact, Sailormercury only wanted a moment alone to herself, but she happened to meet Sailormercury walking in the opposite direction a moment later.  
  
"Ami-chan," Sailomoon said; "I was just looking for you."  
  
"I saw you with the princess--and Kuroiami," Sailormercury replied. "Does she remember anything?"  
  
"No," Sailormoon replied, "at least about her life as Kuroiami. Usagi--I mean, *this* world's Usagi--believes she's back to the way she was before all this happened to her."  
  
"I imagine she's going to have a shock later, though," Sailormercury speculated, "when she finds out she took over the world, slept with all of Beryl's generals and killed three of her best friends."  
  
"I would say it's justice, except..."  
  
"Except it's hardly Ami's fault that all this happened. Beryl and Metallia used her, but now Ami has to live with the guilt of what she did."  
  
Sailormoon sighed.  
  
"It doesn't seem fair, does it?"  
  
"No," Sailormercury said, shaking her head and thinking of Hotaru and Hoshi. "It's not fair."  
  
Sailormoon put her arm around her friend's shoulders, and they stood there a long moment not saying anything.  
  
"At least I still have you," Sailormercury said, managing a weak smile. "I just never imagined I'd hurt this much after I got you back; I thought I'd feel good, but I just feel like crap."  
  
Sailormoon smiled, cradling Sailormercury's head against her shoulder.  
  
"Ami-chan...   
  
"I don't know if it makes you feel any better, but I do love you. You're one of my four best friends--and my best friend in this world."  
  
"Thank you, Usagi-chan. I love you too."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Although the sun continued to shine over the Sea of Serenity, Sailormoon and Sailormercury were used to Tokyo Time, and their bodies told them it was well past midnight by the time the battle was over. Before returning to Earth, though, the two friends took a moment to return to the least-damaged wing of the palace; Sailormercury knew the palace would soon collapse, but both Senshi wanted to appreciate this last vestige of the ancient Moon Kingdom while it was still intact.  
  
"Are you sure it's safe to be in here?" Luna asked Sailormercury.  
  
"Structural collapse is imminent," Sailormercury replied, "but not for a while yet. Just give us a few minutes to look around, then we'll join you and the others for the trip back to Earth."  
  
"All right," Luna said, walking away to leave the Senshi alone.  
  
"Well," Sailormoon said to Sailormercury, "this was quite an adventure, wasn't it?"  
  
"It's still not over, though," Sailormercury replied. "We still don't know how to get back to our own dimension. We could be stuck here the rest of our lives."  
  
"That would be weird. Do you think this world can stand having two Usagi's?"  
  
Sailormercury shrugged, trying to think of a diplomatic answer to that question.  
  
"Of course we would have to share this world's Mamoru..." Sailormoon continued.  
  
"Oh no!" Sailormercury gasped, "I thought you knew! Mamoru was killed in this world."  
  
"He was? How terrible!"  
  
"I'm sorry. Although I guess I should actually be saying that to the other Usagi..."  
  
"So there won't be a Chibi-Usa in this world...?"  
  
"Apparently not. This world is already different from ours in many ways; there are scars here that will never heal."  
  
Sailormoon sighed, sitting down on a knocked-over pedestal underneath a painting of Queen Serenity. Sailormercury then moved to join her, looking up at a gaping hole in the ceiling made by Kuroiami.  
  
It was only then that Sailormercury noticed a strange light glinting in the sky, moving erratically like a speck of dust borne on the wind; at first she thought it might be a piece of debris thrown skyward during the battle, but it was definitely drawing closer. Sailormoon noticed it too, and both of them watched in wonder as the light floated down from the sky to hover before them, then coalesce into a gleaming golden gem, held in a pair of white gloves facing palms-up.  
  
"Hotaru!" the Senshi exclaimed, looking up at Sailorsaturn.  
  
"My friends," Sailorsaturn replied, "hello. I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to say good-bye earlier."  
  
Only then did the Senshi see that Sailorsaturn was transparent, like a ghost.  
  
"Are you dead?" Sailormoon asked.  
  
"Now that I've used my ultimate power," Sailorsaturn replied, "I can no longer remain in this world. However, there is something I wanted to give Ami before I go..."  
  
Sailorsaturn spread her hands and the gleaming gem flew to Sailormercury. Then--before Sailormercury's astonished eyes--the gem transformed into a sleeping, blue-haired baby boy.  
  
"This is Hoshi," Sailorsaturn said, "your son--whom I love. But it isn't yet his time to join me. Please take him back to your own world, to the home where he belongs."  
  
Too stunned to speak, Sailormercury and Sailormoon could only look up from their pedestal as Sailorsaturn began to fade away.  
  
"Wait!" Sailormercury said, cradling Hoshi with one hand and reaching out to Sailorsaturn with the other; "how *do* we get back home again--?"  
  
But Sailorsaturn was already gone; only Hoshi--now waking and looking up at Sailormoon with surprise--was proof she had ever been there at all.  
  
"Oh, he's so cute!" Sailormoon said.  
  
"Usagi, focus please...? How are we going to explain this to the others?"  
  
"Oh yeah; this is a little peculiar..."  
  
"Our problems just never seem to end," Sailormercury said, looking down at Hoshi, "...although he is very cute...  
  
"Give me a hand up, will you, Usagi? Then we'll tell the others about Hoshi, and Hotaru..."  
  
"Sure thing, Ami-chan," Sailormoon said, helping Sailormercury up to her feet while Sailormercury continued holding Hoshi.  
  
"I didn't expect to be looking after a baby," Sailormercury said, cradling Hoshi, "but maybe Michiru can help, since she took care of the infant Hotaru in our world."  
  
"That seems sensible," agreed Sailormoon, making googly-eyes and baby-talk for Hoshi (who giggled), then preceding Sailormercury out the back of the palace.  
  
Even as Sailormoon turned to the right, though--heading toward the front of the palace--a sudden flash of light stunned the Senshi and caused them to turn away instinctively. When they turned back, six ferocious-looking Sailor Senshi (and one cat) were stepping out of a Sailor Teleport with powers at the ready.  
  
"Sailormoon!" Sailormars exclaimed, "and Sailormercury! You're alive!"  
  
Too stunned to speak, Sailormercury and Sailormoon simply stood there stunned as Sailormars and Sailorjupiter rushed forward to embrace them.  
  
"I take it we missed the battle," Sailoruranus said, sounding more than a little disappointed as she deactivated her Space Sword.  
  
"I'm sorry," Sailormoon said, "but we're still glad to see you! How did you find us?"  
  
"A little white rat helped us out," Luna said, stepping forward, "the Artemis from this dimension. With his help, I was able to open a gateway to this dimension, then we teleported here once we realized you were on the Moon."  
  
Luna paused, only then seeming to notice the baby in Sailormercury's arms; now that Hoshi was awake--looking up at the Senshi with his big blue eyes--his resemblence to Ami was even more striking.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking, though," Luna continued, "just exactly what have you been *doing* in this dimension?"  
  
Sailormercury blushed a deep crimson red.  
  
"This isn't my baby!" Sailormercury said. "I swear! Well, actually, it is my baby in a sense...but I don't even know who the father is...!"  
  
All the Senshi were shocked; even Sailorpluto lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh my God!" Sailorjupiter said. "Our poor Ami had a baby out of wedlock, and she doesn't even know who the father is!"  
  
"No, wait," Sailormercury said, "you don't understand..."  
  
But a sudden clamor of voices drowned out Sailormercury's attempt to explain--mostly Sailormars and Sailorjupiter assuring her that they would try to be supportive, together with Sailormoon trying ineffectively to explain the real situation. Clearly, Sailormercury would have her work cut out for her explaining this one...  
  
But at least we're together again, Sailormercury thought. Thank God, we're together again! 


	15. Home Again

Empire of the Dark Ami  
  
by amiwakawaiidesu  
  
(Based on characters and situations from "Sailor Moon", created by Naoko Takeuchi and not owned by myself.  
  
This is the final chapter of this story, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has read and commented on this project. I'm sorry that I didn't finish the story more quickly, but I am glad that it's come to a stopping point more-or-less the way I expected. This project was fun to work on and I suppose I might re-visit this world again someday; but in the meantime, I do appreciate all the readers who helped me with questions, suggestions and encouragement. I thank you very much.)  
  
-------  
  
CHAPTER FIFTEEN  
  
On the morning of Friday, August 18, six Sailor Senshi and one cat teleported from the backyard of the Tsukino residence to the Sea of Serenity; somewhat less than two days later--in the wee hours of Sunday, August 20--thirteen Sailor Senshi, one baby and two cats teleported back, leaving only one of two Sailorsaturns behind.  
  
Holding hands to form their teleport circle, the Senshi were largely friendly now, but their first meeting on the Moon had been anything but harmonious. The Outer Senshi of this dimension were stunned to see their counterparts [the Outer Senshi1] walking away from the Moon Palace with Sailormoon1 and Sailormercury1, as well as two Senshi [Sailormars1 and Sailorjupiter1] whom they knew only as enemies in their own world. Still smarting from the loss of Sailorsaturn2, Sailoruranus2 braced for battle as she assumed the worst from these newcomers, but Sailorneptune2 quickly sensed that the newcomers meant them no harm.  
  
"Don't leap to conclusions," Sailorneptune2 advised her lover; "these are probably Ami's friends from her own world."  
  
"That's right," said Sailormoon1; "Luna…our Luna…figured out a way to come here and rescue us."  
  
Luna2 stared at Luna1 in wonder.  
  
"Are you...me?" Luna2 asked.  
  
"In a manner of speaking," Luna1 replied. "I was concerned you might be evil like the Artemis from this world, but Ami tells me you were loyal to the Sailor Senshi all along."  
  
"You've met the Artemis of this world?" Sailorpluto2 asked.  
  
"Our Sailorvenus has him under guard," Sailorpluto1 replied--eliciting a gasp from the Outer Senshi2.  
  
"You must forgive our surprise," Sailorneptune2 said. "In our world, Sailorvenus was a great villain, as were Sailormars and Sailorjupiter."  
  
Sailormars1 and Sailorjupiter1 both smiled.  
  
"I can assure you we're no villains," Sailormars1 said. "We only want to bring our friends home, that's all."  
  
Only then did the Outer Senshi2 seem to notice Hoshi.  
  
"Did one of you bring your baby along as well?" Sailorneptune2 asked.  
  
"Oh, no," Sailormercury1 said, "this is Hoshi. Sailorsaturn--*your* Sailorsaturn--brought him back to me, before she left."  
  
"You spoke to Saturn?" Sailoruranus2 exclaimed. "What did she say?"  
  
"Not much, really. She only said that she couldn't stay here now that she'd used her powers, and asked us to take Hoshi back home to our world."  
  
"Oh."  
  
All eyes turned to Sailorsaturn1, who seemed surprised to be the center of so much attention.  
  
"What?" she asked, looking at herself. "Do I have something on my fuku...?"  
  
"No," Sailormoon1 said. "But you were very loved here, in this world."  
  
"Ah, sou."  
  
After these introductions, the combined group then moved to speak with Usagi2 and Ami2--the former Kuroiami. Ami2 was still in a daze from what had happened, but Usagi2 spoke on her behalf, agreeing with the other Senshi that it was best to return to Earth as soon as possible. Then the group--now even larger with the addition of Usagi2 and Ami2--spoke to Queen Galaxia, who was just about to leave the Solar System with Kuroiami's former youma and generals in her care.  
  
Since there were several hundred ex-youma to teleport, Galaxia had called in the help of several powerful Senshi (namely SailorIronMouse, SailorAluminumSiren, SailorLeadCrow and SailorTinNyanko) to help herself, SailorChi and SailorPhi manage a group teleport efficiently. Although these Galactic Senshi were as polite as could be, Sailormoon1 was more than a little overwhelmed to see so many 'villains' in one place at one time, and actually hid behind Sailormercury1 when they spoke with Galaxia.  
  
"Your friends were all villains in our world," Sailormercury1 explained to Galaxia.  
  
Galaxia smiled.  
  
"Your world must be very strange, if all of us were villains there. I hope we weren't too much trouble for you."  
  
"No," Sailormercury1 lied, "not at all."  
  
"Well, we should be going," Galaxia said, turning to Usagi2. "But you are always welcome to visit us at the Sagittarius Castle any time you like--you and your friends here. And perhaps I shall come visit this system again; I should especially like to visit your blue planet Earth, which looks so lovely there in the lunar sky."  
  
"You honor us, Your Majesty," Usagi2 said to Galaxia.  
  
Galaxia smiled, turning to address all the Senshi as a group.  
  
"Keep well," Galaxia said, "until we meet again."  
  
Galaxia then withdrew to the company of her fellow Galactic Senshi, who had taken up positions on the perimeter of the group of ex-youma and generals. Nodding to Galaxia, the Galactic Senshi then lifted their hands to join their power to each other and--in a colossal flash of light--Galaxia, the Galactic Senshi, ex-youma and generals disappeared from the face of the Moon.  
  
Though unintended, a secondary effect of the teleport was a mighty gust of wind that blasted over the Senshi and crashed up against the remains of the Moon Palace, toppling what was left of the structure in a cloud of dust.  
  
"Perhaps we should be going," Usagi2 said to her fellow Senshi.  
  
The other Senshi nodded, and moved to form their own teleport circle. Apart from being extremely large, this circle was also peculiar because it included two cats and a baby, but Sailormercury1 calculated that the total teleport energy would still be sufficient (even with Usagi2 and Ami2 remaining in civilian form). A larger problem was where to put Ami2 in the circle; though the Outer Senshi2 didn't vocalize their disdain for her, it was clear that all of them were watching her suspiciously.  
  
"Here," Sailormoon1 said to Usagi2 and Ami2, "come stand between me and Mercury."  
  
"Arigatou," Usagi2 said, moving to join hands with Sailormoon1 and Ami2. Ami2, in turn, joined hands with Sailormercury1, who also had Hoshi and both Luna's at her feet.   
  
"I haven't really had a chance to talk to you," Sailormercury1 said to Ami2, "since the battle, I mean. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Everyone seems to be asking me that," Ami2 replied, taking her counterpart's hand. "Are you afraid I'll turn back into Kuroiami?"  
  
"Well…maybe a little. You were very scary as Kuroiami."  
  
"I'm afraid I can't remember any of that, but I suppose it must have happened. I'm sorry; I never wanted to hurt anyone..."  
  
Sailormercury1 smiled at Ami2.   
  
"I know; I believe you."  
  
A moment later, the Sailor Senshi nodded toward each other to indicate they were ready, and looked at the two Luna's.  
  
"Sailor Teleport!" the two cats exclaimed, and--in a second flash of light--the Moon was alone once again.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Given the noise they made--settling into the Tsukino residence and looking for places to sleep--the Senshi were lucky they didn't invite a police citation for disturbing the peace in the middle of the night; but this block was still unoccupied except for the Tsukino house, so this was one peril at least that they managed to dodge.  
  
Naturally, much commotion attended the comfort of Hoshi; Ami1 (who quickly de-transformed along with the other Senshi) wanted to look after him, but she simply didn't have as much experience looking after an infant as Michiru1 and reluctantly agreed to let Michiru1 supervise Hoshi's care instad. Working alongside Michiru2, Michiru1 then enlisted the aid of the less-maternal--but no-less-dedicated--Haruka1 and Haruka2 to obtain diapers, formula and other essentials from the nearest all-night convenience store. Ami1, meanwhile, tried to take notes on childcare from Michiru1, but--more tired than she knew--she fell asleep at the kitchen table as soon as a quiet moment presented itself.  
  
The other Senshi, meanwhile, crashed wherever was convenient; Usagi1--after covering Ami1 with a blanket--invited Rei1 and Makoto1 to join her in the master bedroom, Usagi2 took Ami2 upstairs to her bedroom (where they exchanged their formal gowns for Usagi2's bunny pajamas), and Hotaru1 unwittingly chose the same couch that Hotaru2 had rested on when she first came to this same house several days before. After most of the other Senshi were asleep, the two Michiru's, two Haruka's and two Setsuna's settled around the sleeping Hotaru1 and Hoshi where they lay asleep on the couch.  
  
"What is she like in your world?" Haruka2 asked Haruka1, looking at Hotaru1. "Ami says that you're like a family in her world."  
  
"You could say that. Hotaru calls me 'papa' and Michiru 'mama', and she's very sweet."  
  
"You're very lucky. Even though she was our enemy, I cherished our time with our Hotaru."  
  
"We may yet see her again," Setsuna2 said, cryptically.  
  
"What do you mean?" Michiru2 asked.  
  
"A Senshi's star seed does not die," Setsuna2 replied, "even in death. That's why Sailorsaturn came back to us in Tokyo, even after we thought she was killed by Kuroiami. And she may yet come back to us again, just as Venus, Mars and Jupiter may be reborn when they are needed again in this world."  
  
"How long will that be?" Haruka2 asked.  
  
Setsuna2 opened her mouth as if to answer, but she paused after noting a meaningful glance from Setsuna1.  
  
"It is not my place to say--nor can I say for certain, since the future is always in motion. But old friends may yet meet again."  
  
* * * * *  
  
The next morning, the Outer Senshi2 finally had their chance to meet Minako1; Luna1 had previously arranged to send a signal to Minako1 after they found Usagi1 and Ami1, and Minako1 then came through a dimensional portal opened up by Luna1, bearing the miscreant Artemis2 in a very-securely sealed cat carrier.  
  
"Let me out of here!" Artemis2 squealed. "You bitches! I'll get you for this!"  
  
"I believe this is yours," Minako1 said, setting the carrier down on the Tsukino kitchen table in front of the Outer Senshi2; the Outer Senshi2 were much more intrigued by Minako1 herself, though, than the squealing white cat.  
  
"Are you really Sailorvenus?" Haruka2 asked.  
  
"You seem so nice," Michiru2 added.  
  
"Um...thanks," Minako1 said, "I think..."  
  
Minako1 leaned over to Usagi1 and whispered in her ear.  
  
*"Why are these people all staring at me?"* Minako1 asked.  
  
*"Because you're really scary,"* Usagi1 replied, *"in this world."*  
  
*"Oh."*  
  
Minako1's other friends, meanwhile, were finishing their preparations for the journey back home to their own dimension. None of them had really brought any baggage--and no other clothing than what they wore after they transformed--but Rei1, Makoto1, and the Outer Senshi1 were all intrigued by this strange other world, and reluctant to leave it too soon. Strangely, even Usagi1 and Ami1 felt that way, though both had suffered grievously during their seven days there.   
  
"You must come back and see us again sometime," Usagi2 said to Usagi1. "Now that your Luna knows the secret of the gate, you won't have any excuse not to be sociable."  
  
"Maybe I'll take you up on that," Usagi1 replied. "But Usagi...aren't you worried about your future? You've been hiding it well, but Mamoru is gone. What kind of future can you have without Mamoru...or Chibi-Usa?"  
  
"I do miss Mamoru," Usagi2 admitted, "but nothing can bring him back--nor can we bring back our Rei, Makoto and Minako. But we will endure as best we can, Ami-chan and I."  
  
Ami2 herself, meanwhile, was saying her last good-byes to Ami1 in the master bedroom.  
  
"I wished I could have had more of a chance to talk with you," Ami2 said; "as myself, I mean."  
  
"That's all right," Ami1 said. "You were a victim of Kuroiami, as much as the rest of us; you needed time to get your bearings, after all you went through."  
  
"Actually," Ami2 said, suddenly crying quite openly, "I was thinking of killing myself last night, after Usagi told me all the things I'd done...  
  
"She told me I had to live, though...to live for all the people that I killed..."  
  
Ami1 stood there awkwardly for a moment, looking at Ami2, then finally reached out to hold her.  
  
"It's all right," Ami1 said. "It's all right. The truth is, any one of us can do evil--if we're pushed far enough, or bad things happen to us. You've given me a glimpse of what I could become myself, if I ever let darkness win me over."  
  
Ami2 nodded, though she was too choked up to speak.  
  
"I'm no better than you are, Ami," Ami1 said. "A different roll of the dice, and I could have been the one who became Kuroiami. But don't let this destroy you; you're still a good person, and you can still work to make the world a better place."  
  
"Thank you," Ami2 said, softly. "I'll try..."  
  
For a long moment, Ami2 continued holding Ami1, then the two of them heard Setsuna1 calling from the living room; Luna was ready to take them home now.  
  
"You brought me here," Ami1 said to Ami2. "Will you watch me go?"  
  
"Certainly."  
  
The two Ami's then walked out to the living room where Luna was using Ami1's old minicomputer to open up the same dimensional portal that Minako1 had just stepped through a few minutes earlier.  
  
"There's only room in the portal for two people at a time," Luna1 said to Ami1 and Usagi1, "so we'll let you two go back first."  
  
"Where will we end up?" Usagi1 asked.  
  
"Mamoru's apartment," Luna1 replied. "That's where I set up the portal generator."  
  
"Oh, how cool!"  
  
"Why Mamoru's apartment?" Ami1 asked.  
  
"We needed a secure place to build the generator--where we wouldn't have parents poking around asking a lot of nosy questions--and that seemed like a logical choice. Plus Mamoru knows more about science than Makoto, so he could actually help me build the machine."  
  
"How exciting!" Usagi1 said, holding Ami1's arm. "Do you think he'll be happy to see me?"  
  
"I'm sure he will," Ami1 replied.  
  
Shortly thereafter, Luna finally opened the portal--which appeared as a gaping hole in a side wall of the living room--and Ami1 and Usagi1 were ushered into position. As their fellow Senshi looked on expectantly, Ami1 and Usagi1 then prepared to step through the portal--though Ami1 paused as she remembered one last thing she'd forgotten to do.  
  
"I almost forgot," Ami1 said to Ami2, reaching into the pocket of her sundress and fishing out another minicomputer; "I believe this is your minicomputer, Ami, which I've been borrowing."  
  
"Are you sure you don't need it?" Ami2 asked.  
  
"No, I have one of my own. Besides, Sailormercury should have her own minicomputer."  
  
Ami1 glanced at Haruka2, who was still staying some distance away from Ami2.  
  
"Wouldn't you agree, Sailoruranus?" Ami2 asked.  
  
Haruka2 lifted an eyebrow, as if weighing her debt to Ami1 on the one hand against her lingering suspicion of Ami2 on the other hand. In the end, the scale tipped in favor of the debt.  
  
"I suppose you're right," Haruka2 said, stepping closer to Ami2 and Usagi2 along with Luna2 and the Outer Senshi2. "If you can't stay, we'll need Ami here to take your place."  
  
Ami1 smiled slightly, perceiving the start of a gesture of reconciliation. Haruka2 then walked forward to Ami1, intending to shake her hand, but ending up embracing Ami1 instead.  
  
"Farewell, Ami," said Haruka2. "You will always be welcome here, as our friend."  
  
"Arigatou," Ami1 replied, smiling up at Haruka2. Then, after a long moment she stepped away from Haruka2 and bowed to the Outer Senshi2, Usagi2 and Ami2.  
  
"Perhaps we will meet again some day. Until then...sayonara."  
  
Then, turning back to Usagi1, Ami1 stepped through the portal with her friend, and at last they were on their way home again.   
  
* * * * *  
  
Meanwhile, in the apartment of Chiba Mamoru, Mamoru and Artemis1 were watching the portal mechanism on the wall of Mamoru's apartment with nervous anticipation. Outside Mamoru's apartment, it was a cloudy Sunday afternoon, but man and cat alike were focused exclusively on the gateway that was their only link to their friends in an alternate universe; cobbled together primarily from old TV, stereo and computer components, the mechanism consisted of a toroidal ring about two meters in diameter attached to Mamoru's old computer, a high-voltage capacitor and a portable gasoline generator purring away on Mamoru's patio (since Mamoru didn't want to risk a power outage shutting down the portal).  
  
"Shouldn't they be back by now?" Artemis asked, nervously. "Minako has been gone for almost a half hour!"  
  
"I'm sure she's fine," Mamoru replied. "Luna sent back the all-clear note through the portal, and she said she'd only do that if she found Usagi and Ami, and it was safe for Minako to go through the portal with Artemis2."  
  
"But why wouldn't Minako let *me* come with her? We've always been a team!"  
  
"I think she was worried about getting you and Artemis2 mixed up accidentally in the portal," Mamoru said, glancing at his watch. "But if we don't hear word soon, I'm going after them myself--plan or no plan..."  
  
"No need for that," Artemis said, noting the sudden blinking of the red status light next to the portal. "They're coming through!"  
  
A moment later, the gateway opened, and out stepped Usagi and Ami.  
  
"Mamo-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, hugging and kissing her fiancé. "Oh, I've missed you!"  
  
"I missed you too, sweetheart," Mamoru said, pausing to look up at Ami. "And how are you, Ami?"  
  
"Just fine," Ami replied, smiling at both Mamoru and Artemis, then turning back to the portal as the remainder of her friends followed through in groups of two; Rei and Makoto came next, then Haruka and Michiru (with the infant Hoshi), then Setsuna and Hotaru, and last of all Minako with Luna.  
  
"A baby?" Artemis said. "I don't remember you leaving with a baby..."  
  
"Indeed," Mamoru said, looking closely at Hoshi in Michiru's arms. "And he looks just like Ami."  
  
"He's my son," Ami replied, "from the future."  
  
"Oh. Do you know...?"  
  
"...who the father is? No."  
  
"Pardon me for interrupting," Michiru said, "but we do need to think about what to do with Hoshi. He is a sweet child, but your mother might be surprised, Ami, if you show up at your home with a newborn baby."  
  
"Oh my God!" Usagi said; "you're right! Dr. Mizuno would freak!"  
  
Ami was keen to agree, and indeed she felt her knees go weak just imagining what her mother would say; she'd been so focused on getting back home that she hadn't even thought about what she would do with Hoshi when she got there.  
  
Then--as Ami contemplated the horror of trying to explain her baby to her mother--the terror of a second horror overcame her; if it was now November 23 in this world--as indicated by the calendar on Mamoru's wall--she and Usagi must have missed a whole week of school!  
  
Together with the problem of her baby, that was enough to make Ami's knees buckle and she fell to the floor in a heap.  
  
"Oh my God, Ami-chan!" Usagi said, dropping to the floor next to Ami; "are you all right?"  
  
"I was just thinking..." Ami said, now pale with shock, "we've missed a whole week of school! We'll be suspended for sure...!"  
  
"Actually, you don't have to worry about that," Hotaru said. "Michiru and I have been impersonating you for the last week."  
  
"You have...?" Usagi replied.  
  
"They sure have," Haruka confirmed. "Although it wasn't easy. Hotaru had an especially hard time impersonating you, Odango-atama, since she isn't as good at failing tests as you are."  
  
"Well, that's understandable..." Usagi started to say, before she realized she'd been insulted.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Ami, for her part, was too shocked to comment; like a marionette with its strings cut, she collapsed against Usagi on the floor.  
  
"Thanks, Michiru," Ami said. "But, why didn't you tell us before?"  
  
"We didn't want to make you worry," Michiru replied, bringing forth a bottle for Hoshi, "in case we couldn't get back through the portal. But now you and Usagi can go back to being yourselves again."  
  
"Oh great," Usagi muttered. "Back to school..."  
  
"Actually," Minako noted, "tomorrow is a holiday--Labor Thanksgiving Day."  
  
"Hey, that's right!" Usagi said, glancing at the calendar again. "Sweet!"  
  
"That still leaves the problem of Hoshi, though," Setsuna noted. "He will need a home somewhere."  
  
"I can't really ask you to look after him full-time," Ami said to Michiru, pushing herself back up to a seated position. "You've already done so much for us--and for me especially!"  
  
"Oh, that's all right. It will be fun having another baby around the house."  
  
"Actually," Setsuna said, "it might not be wise to keep him here in this time. Kuroiami disrupted the flow of history by abducting the infant Hoshi, so the only logical way to restore the flow of history is to take him back home--to the future."  
  
"Can you *do* that?" Ami asked.  
  
"I can. But you are his mother; I think it's your place to say where he should be."  
  
Ami thought about that for a long moment, glancing around the room at the many friends now gathered around herself and Usagi. This week had been hellish in some ways--between being beaten to a pulp, imprisoned, shot at and tortured--but was it not worth it to realize how many friends she and Usagi had in their own world, who would work so hard to bring them home? To say nothing of keeping them out of trouble for cutting school for a week?  
  
"I think Hoshi should go back to his real home," Ami said, finally. "But Setsuna, can I be the one to take him back there, and put him back where he belongs?"  
  
Setsuna thought about that for a long moment, doubtless weighing in her mind the damage to history that might result if Ami met the future version of herself in Crystal Tokyo. But eventually she agreed with Ami.  
  
"All right, Ami; I will open the Door of Time, but you will be the one to carry Hoshi through the doorway."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Since Ami was reluctant to carry Hoshi outside Mamoru's apartment building in the middle of the day (lest she invite awkward questions from anyone she might know), Setsuna agreed to open the Door of Time inside Mamoru's apartment. Ami and Setsuna both transformed into their Senshi forms, then Michiru handed Sailormercury the infant Hoshi to carry in her arms.  
  
How strange, Sailormercury thought, looking down at Hoshi; it was just a week ago I first met you, and yet it seems like a lifetime...  
  
"Are you ready, Mercury?" Sailorpluto asked.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Then follow me," Sailorpluto said, using her staff to open the Door of Time. Pausing only a moment to look back at her friends, Sailormercury then followed Sailorpluto into the time portal...  
  
...and emerged in Crystal Tokyo, 10 centuries in the future. The portal opened into a chamber with transparent crystal walls, and Sailormercury could see the gleaming towers of Crystal Tokyo through one of the exterior walls. A child's crib in the middle of the room commanded Sailormercury's immediate attention, though; it stood empty, though toys and blankets suggested the crib had been in use very recently.  
  
*"Is this Hoshi's room?"* Sailormercury whispered.  
  
*"In the Crystal Palace,"* Sailorpluto confirmed, *"yes. Princess Mercury just stepped out a moment ago to speak to her husband, and that was all the time it took for Kuroiami to steal her son."*  
  
*"Kuroiami was *here*?"* Sailormercury asked.  
  
*"Indeed, just a moment ago. But we have a moment before Princess Mercury returns; if you return Hoshi to his crib, she may not realize he was gone at all."*  
  
Ami was boggled by this situation; even as she carried Hoshi to his crib and laid him down there, she found it incredible to realize how much had happened to Hoshi since he last laid in this crib. To Princess Mercury, only a moment had passed; but in the space of that moment, Hoshi had lived more than six years, fallen in love and even died twice.  
  
*"Will Mercury see his clothes are different?"* Sailormercury asked Sailorpluto.  
  
*"Yes, you should change him. And his diaper too, just in case."*  
  
*"Do we have time for all that...?"* Sailormercury asked, pulling off Hoshi's bedshirt.  
  
*"Yes, but hurry. His mother will return shortly."*  
  
*"But I am his mother,"* Sailormercury said--pausing just long enough to locate Hoshi's future bedclothes and diapers--*"which reminds me, won't I remember having done this in the future? If I know Hoshi will be kidnapped, won't I change what I do to make sure Hoshi isn't abducted...?"*  
  
*"Happily for the sake of the time-space continuum,"* Sailorpluto said, *"no. It may be hard to believe--since you've just lived through an amazing adventure--but your memories of the past will soon fade. By the time you are married and your son is born, this adventure will be only one of many vaguely remembered from a long-distant past...  
  
*"Nor do you know what day this is, in the future which I have brought you to. Even if you do remember the danger that Hoshi is in, you can't watch him every minute of every day. Even if you don't plan to, this moment will come when Hoshi is unguarded and Kuroiami will spirit him away. It is not your fault, and it doesn't mean you're a bad person. It is simply your destiny."*  
  
Sailormercury--who had been busy changing Hoshi--listened to all these words with curiosity. She knew it was not her place to pry into Sailorpluto's realm, but still she found it amazing to realize that all this would come to pass, even though--as a mother--she would never want her baby to be hurt.  
  
But only less amazing was the corollary to Hoshi's very existence; in the future, Ami would be married!  
  
*"I don't suppose you can tell me who this husband of mine will be...?"* Sailormercury asked Sailorpluto. *"I mean, just so I know not to tell him to get lost when I meet him..."*  
  
*"I don't think you have to worry about that,"* Sailorpluto said, smiling slightly. *"He is someone you already know."*  
  
"He is?" Sailormercury said--suddenly forgetting to whisper. "Who?"  
  
"Someone who loves you," Sailorpluto replied, "that's all I can say."  
  
Suddenly, the Senshi heard a sound--footsteps approaching down a nearby hallway.  
  
*"We must away!"* Sailorpluto said, quickly reopening the Door of Time. *"The princess approaches!"*  
  
Sailormercury hesitated; as she pulled back from Hoshi, Hoshi reached for her and started to cry.  
  
"Hoshi..."  
  
*"His mother is seconds away,"* Sailorpluto said, taking hold of Sailormercury's arm; *"trust me, Ami."*  
  
Sailormercury bit her lip--reluctant to abandon her son--but she realized Sailorpluto was right; Sailormercury would have to let the future take care of itself.  
  
"All right," Sailormercury said, pausing just long enough to snatch up Hoshi's old bedshirt and diaper before Sailorpluto pulled her into the Door of Time.  
  
"Sayonara, musuko!" Sailormercury cried out, with tears in her eyes.  
  
Then Sailormercury was gone, vanishing through the Door of Time just as Princess Mercury opened the door of her son's bedroom...  
  
* * * * *  
  
"I was only gone for a moment," Princess Mercury said, sweeping into the room in her long blue gown and scooping up Hoshi from his crib. "Did you miss me that much...?"  
  
Hoshi stopped crying at once.  
  
"You're probably poopy; it's been a while since I changed you..."  
  
But curiously, Hoshi wasn't poopy. Nor was his shirt dirty, though Mercury remembered him spilling some food on himself (and his father) earlier in the day.  
  
*"Oh my God..."* Mercury thought, suddenly feeling faint. *"Pluto was right...!"*  
  
Thankfully for Mercury and Hoshi, Mercury's husband was just a step behind her in the hallway and ran forward to catch her as she swooned..  
  
"Ami, are you all right?" he asked. "You look white as a sheet!"  
  
"Yes, I'm all right," Mercury said. "I just had a little shock, that's all..."  
  
"A shock? About Hoshi?"  
  
"No, Hoshi's fine. I was just remembering something that just happened…a long time ago."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Mercury thought about responding, but then she realized that her husband might not believe her even if she told him. That their baby had just been abducted from his own home, raised by the wicked ruler of an alternate universe, killed twice, brought back to life and then brought back to his own home by a younger version of herself? Even Mercury scarcely believed it, though the memories suddenly came flooding back to her of Kuroiami and that other world.  
  
"It's nothing," Mercury said after a moment. "Just memories. Our baby's really very lucky…to be loved by so many people."  
  
Mercury's husband gave her a curious look--then suddenly thought he guessed what was troubling Mercury.  
  
"I know what's bothering you!" he said. "It's that last chess game with Serenity, isn't it?"  
  
Mercury smiled, turning back toward the door with Hoshi in her arms.  
  
"No," she said, "Serenity was bound to win a game sooner or later."  
  
"Maybe so, but she could have been more diplomatic about it. Honestly, the way she carried on afterward--running around the palace hooting and hollering…that wasn't very nice."  
  
Mercury laughed.  
  
"That's all right. She worked hard for that win, and I'm glad she enjoyed it."  
  
Mercury's husband embraced her.  
  
"You're very special, Ami, you know that? I'm very lucky to have you."  
  
"I don't know about that," Mercury replied. "I'm just glad I didn't tell you to get lost when you first asked me out."  
  
"Was that your initial reaction to me?"  
  
Mercury smiled.  
  
"No, that's just the evil Ami in me talking."  
  
Her husband looked at her curiously.  
  
"Didn't you know I have an evil side?" she said. "Well, I suppose we all do...  
  
"Anyway, why don't you get a bottle ready and I'll grab Hoshi's diaper bag. Then we can go to Her Majesty's chambers and see if she'll give me a rematch..."  
  
THE END 


End file.
